News Releases from Middle Tennessee State University

[241] Two Key February Deadline Dates Await Prospective MTSU Students

2012-01-26T15:57:00.001-06:00

For release: Jan. 26, 2012

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU Scholarship Office contact: Bonnie McCarty, 615-904-8414 or
Bonnie.McCarty@mtsu.edu

Two key February deadline dates await prospective MTSU students

MURFREESBORO — Prospective MTSU students have two important upcoming dates to remember:

• Wednesday, Feb. 1, is the deadline for all MTSU transfer scholarships except for the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, which has a March 1 closing date; and

• Wednesday, Feb. 15, is the deadline to apply for most types of competitive MTSU scholarships and also the secondary deadline for freshman academic scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year.

That’s the word from Bonnie McCarty, assistant director of scholarships in the Scholarships Office, which is located in room 206 of the James Union Building.

Prospective students who applied to MTSU by Dec. 1, 2011, receive first priority for the major scholarships awarded by MTSU. Major awards include National Merit/Achievement, Chancellor, Presidential, Academic Service, Valedictorian/Salutatorian, Provost and International Baccalaureate scholarships.

“Students who applied for admission after the December 1 priority deadline but by February 15 may be considered for freshman academic scholarships if funding is available,” McCarty said.

Diverse Representation and Educational Access (or DREAM) and MTSU Foundation scholarships have a Feb. 15 deadline. Some departmental scholarships have a Feb. 15 deadline.

Information about available scholarships and academic procedures is available at www.mtsu.edu/scholarships, McCarty added.
###

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[240] 'Prison Writing' Spring Honors Lecture Series Continues Jan. 30

2012-01-26T14:04:00.001-06:00

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or
Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
Honors College contact: Dr. Philip Phillips, 615-898-2699 or
Philip.Phillips@mtsu.edu

‘Prison Writing’ spring Honors Lecture Series continues Jan. 30

MURFREESBORO — After a class orientation and an initial lecture by Dr. Philip Phillips on Jan. 23, the spring MTSU Honors Lecture Series continues Monday, Jan. 30.

In the series titled “Prison Writing: From Boethius to Mehdi Zana,” Phillips will bring “Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy and Philosophy’s Consolation to the Prisoner” in the second lecture.

Lectures are held in Honors Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building. The 55-minute lectures begin promptly at 3 p.m. and are open to the public. The 12-week series will be held every Monday except March 5 when students are on spring break.

Dr. Mark Jackson of the MTSU English department will lead one special lecture, “Lead Belly” It will begin at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3. For the series lineup, visit bit.ly/MTHonorsLecturesS12.

“This semester’s Honors Lecture Series on ‘Prison Writing’ examines selected works of writers from the sixth century to the 21st century, who were imprisoned for their beliefs and who drew strength from their prison experiences to advance their respective causes and inspire others in the process,” says Phillips, interim associate dean for the Honors College and English professor.

Phillips adds that the series will progress chronologically and include such diverse writers as Boethius, Sir Thomas Malory, John Lilburne, John Bunyan, Henry David Thoreau, Louise Michel, Sue Shelton White, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Mehdi Zana.

“Each author epitomizes the tradition of speaking truth to power and being willing to sacrifice physical freedom, or even life itself, in the service of that truth,” Phillips says. “Several of the authors included in the series allude to the examples of their predecessors, a practice that illustrates that many those freedoms we enjoy today are the result of the struggles of those who fought to attain them.

“It should also remind us that those freedoms that are still denied to us might yet be attained if we commit ourselves wholly to achieving them. All of the lectures in the series will provide an overview of the authors’ lives, offer a close analysis of their works, and discuss the context and significance of their representative prison writings.”

###

Media welcomed.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[239] MTSU Receives Generous Donation from Country Artist/Former Student Chris Young

2012-01-25T15:48:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 26, 2012
EDITORIAL CONTACTS: Tom Tozer, MTSU, 615-898-2919; Cindy Heath, Monarch Publicity, 615-429-2203

MTSU receives generous donation from country artist/former student Chris Young

MURFREESBORO—RCA recording artist and Murfreesboro native Chris Young recently donated a selection of his touring audio equipment and accessories to the Department of Production Services at Middle Tennessee State University.
Production Services, a department within the Division of Business and Finance, provides comprehensive event-production services, including technical expertise, personnel, audio, lighting, video and staging for numerous campus events as well as University-related off-campus functions.
“We are pleased that Chris chose to donate some of his touring equipment to the University,” said Joe Bales, vice president for development and university relations. “This donation represents his latest efforts to give back.”
Craig Doman, director of production services, added “a great big thanks to Chris Young for thinking of us.
“We accept his donation with gratitude and look forward to incorporating his gift into our many services,” Doman continued. “Our staff, which includes more than 100 students, will greatly benefit.”
The former MTSU student has performed several times in Murphy Center as his music career has ascended, and he remains generous with his time and talent. In 2008, Young was the special guest of MTSU’s Invention Convention—the same event he attended as a child—where he sang several songs to an excited crowd of 300 middle-school children.
“MTSU has been a great supporter over the years, and I’m glad for the chance to share this equipment with the University’s music and production students,” the singer/songwriter said.
Young just experienced an amazing year that included a Grammy nomination; an American Country Award win; five national TV appearances; the release of his third album, “Neon”; his third and fourth consecutive No.1 singles; and tours with Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts.

The new year looks even brighter. Young appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” only two weeks after entertaining a sold-out New Year’s Eve crowd in Fort Worth, Texas. Miranda Lambert also has selected Young as her special guest for her 2012 “On Fire” tour.
Young’s current single, “You,” from the “Neon” CD has already hit No. 2 on the Billboard country chart.
“Chris Young has remained a true Blue Raider at heart and has always been extremely generous with his time and talents,” MTSU’s Bales added.
—30—
Photo by Randee St. Nicholas
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.
Visit www.mtsunews.com anytime.

[238] Adult Learners Conference Provides Info for Advancement

2012-01-25T15:46:00.001-06:00

EDITORIAL CONTACT: June Anderson Center, 615-898-5989

ADULT LEARNERS CONFERENCE PROVIDES INFO FOR ADVANCEMENT
Obtaining Financial Aid, Managing Stress among Issues on Agenda

MURFREESBORO—“Navigating the Terrain of the Adult Learner: Signposts to Development, Achievement and Success” will be the theme of MTSU’s 19th Annual Adult Learning Conference scheduled for Feb. 16-17 in the James Union Building.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Nan Travers, director of the Office of Collegewide Academic Review at Empire State College, State University of New York.

Travers is responsible for “the policies and practices of self-designed student degree programs and the assessment of prior college-level learning,” according to her SUNY biography.

“Her specialty is tweaking programs to be strong in several areas to support adult learners,” says Anne Fraley, interim director of MTSU’s June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students.

The center will sponsor the conference in partnership with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and support from the Lumina Foundation.

“People have found themselves unemployed and, therefore, it’s a time to either improve their skills or shift focus and direction in whatever field they’re in,” says Fraley.

Participants will discuss the importance of adult learners in helping Tennessee attain its college completion goals and the resources needed to improve adult learners’ success rates.

Student workshops include “Pathways to Making Good Career Choices,” “Student Networking,” “Finessing the World of Financial Aid,” and “Managing Life: Mindfulness as a Means to Reduce Stress at Home and at School.”
A reduced “early bird” registration fee of $75 per person is available through Jan. 20. After that, the registration cost is $100 per person.

Checks must be made payable to MTSU Adult Learning Conference and mailed to Adult Learning Conference, Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 S. Main St., Box 295, Murfreesboro, TN 37132.

Registration applications and payments must be received no later than Feb. 2. For more information, visit the conference website at www.mtsu.edu/jac/alc_home.shtml, or call the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students at 615-898-5989.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[237] MTSU Senior Joins Volunteer Project in LA-Area Forest

2012-01-25T15:43:00.002-06:00

MTSU senior joins volunteer project in LA-area forest

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 24, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385 or Gina.Fann@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—MTSU senior Kurt Gadke spent part of his recent winter break in the woods, but he wasn't skiing.

The management and marketing major, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, was one of 10 college students selected to join the Liberty Mutual Responsible Scholars Community Project team in Los Angeles, Calif., Jan. 2-8. The group helped the Angeles National Forest Rangers with ongoing recovery efforts stemming from recent natural disasters.

During previous community-project events at the Angeles National Forest, students cleaned up a historic ranger station, which now serves as a meeting site and home base for the hundreds of local volunteers who help the U.S. Forest Service. The students also removed more than 27 bags of trash left in the forest from the 2010 record rainstorms, cleaned exhibits at the Mt. Baldy visitor center and worked with volunteers from Liberty Mutual’s Southern California offices to plant 250 trees in four hours.

This year, Gadke and his fellow volunteers continued reforesting the area by planting new saplings and erecting protective tents around them as well as putting in place ground protection that aids growth. They also helped the rangers clean up from the recent Santa Ana windstorms, which caused nearly $4 million in damage to Department of Public Works properties.

The Angeles National Forest is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County in southern California.

Gadke has interned at Liberty Mutual's Brentwood, Tenn., office since May 2011 and plans to work full-time with the insurance company when he graduates from MTSU this May.

He submitted a video explaining why he should be chosen for the trip, and his story helped send him to L.A. The video is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylvz15FSSm8.

“This was truly an amazing experience,” Gadke said. “I had never been to Los Angeles before, and I couldn’t have thought of a better way to spend my winter break than helping out a community in need. We were able to accomplish so much work in only a week!”

Gadke's fellow Community Project recipients hailed from Bentley University, Bryant University, Flagler College, Howard University, Northeastern University, San Francisco State University, the University of Michigan and the University of New Hampshire.

“Making a difference, whether through volunteering on-campus or in the local community, is a key concern for college students,” said Lane Garnett, university relations program manager for the Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group.

“The Community Project gives students an opportunity to reach beyond their usual sphere of involvement to help people in a section of the country that unfortunately has experienced several natural disasters.”

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[236] 12th Annual Flute Festival at MTSU to Feature Guest-Artist Recital

2012-01-25T15:42:00.001-06:00

12th annual Flute Festival at MTSU to feature guest-artist recital

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 24, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493 or tim.musselman@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—The 12th annual MTSU Flute Festival, featuring guest artist Alexa Still of the Oberlin (Ohio) Conservatory of Music, will be held Saturday, Jan. 28, with registration beginning at 8 a.m. in the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.

A public recital by flutist Still and MTSU faculty pianist Lillian Pearson will begin at 1 p.m. in Hinton Hall on Jan. 28.

"Alexa Still is one of my favorite flutists of all time," said Dr. Deanna Little, professor of flute at MTSU and organizer of the event. "She is a beautiful player with amazing tone colors, control—just a true musician. I am very excited to have her at MTSU and believe this will be one of our most inspiring festivals ever."

Participating flutists may register at the door with a $15 fee. Members of the public may register as guests for one or all of the public concerts and competitions for a $5-per-person charge.

The day’s events include an 8:30 a.m. opening session in Hinton Hall, “Get Your Flute Groove On!”, where all festival participants will play. A simultaneous session for parents, "How to Help and Motivate Your Students!", will be offered in Saunders Fine Arts 101.

Flute exhibits featuring manufacturers, flute products and flute repair will open at 9 a.m., and 9:30 a.m. brings a morning session with Still followed by High School Solo Competition, Junior Solo Competition, and Orchestral Excerpts Competition all commencing at 10:30 a.m. Before breaking for lunch, the Festival Flute Choir, featuring event participants, will perform in Hinton Hall.

Still and Pearson’s public recital will be followed by Still’s 2:15 p.m. master class for festival participants. The day’s events will conclude with a final concert featuring the winners of the high-school and junior competitions, members of the Festival Flute choir and others.

Still is known internationally for her many recordings on the Koch International Classics label, including 13 solo CDs. A New Zealander, Still’s graduate study was at the State University of New York-Stony Brook, where she also won the New York Flute Club Young Artist Competition and East and West Artists Competition.

By age 23, she was the principal flutist of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Before accepting her current position at the Oberlin Conservatory, she taught at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Sydney (Australia) Conservatorium of Music, where she was professor of flute and director of performance research. Still maintains a busy concert schedule of recitals, concertos and master classes around the world.

For more information, please visit the MTSU Flute Festival website at www.mtsuflute.weebly.com or call Little at 615-898-2473.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

(EDITORS: High resolution photos of Alexa Still can be found at the "Press Kit" link at www.alexastill.com.)

[235] Farm Credit Services 15K Grant, MTSU Funds Fuel Ricketts' Trips

2012-01-24T16:15:00.002-06:00

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU Agriscience contact: Dr. Cliff Ricketts, 615-308-7605 or
Cliff.Ricketts@mtsu.edu

Farm Credit Services $15K grant, MTSU funds fuel Ricketts’ trips

MURFREESBORO — Dr. Cliff Ricketts of MTSU plans two coast-to-coast expeditions the next two years using different alternative fuel sources in two different vehicles.

His funding for the trips recently hit a positive note with the announcement of a $15,000 grant from Farm Credit Services of Mid-America and additional financial support from the MTSU Offices of the Provost and Research.

“I appreciate Farm Credit Services’ confidence in one of their own. We (Ricketts family) have borrowed from them for 50 years,” Ricketts, the 2008-09 MTSU Career Achievement Award recipient, said of the grant. “I’m appreciative of the ag industry supporting a professor doing a very creative thing that emphasizes the importance of agriscience.”

Ricketts, joined by a team of eight to 10 students traveling in a van, plans to drive a 1998 Toyota Prius converted hybrid from Savannah, Ga., to Long Beach, Calif., during spring break. The car will be powered by hydrogen, solar energy, ethanol and less than 10 gallons of gasoline, Ricketts said.

Ricketts’ 2013 plans include a cross-country trip using sun and hydrogen from water, he said.

MTSU alumnus Jack Swanson (’96), one of Ricketts’ former students, presented the Farm Credit Services check. Swanson eventually became the lending officer for Ricketts, who raises beef cattle, and whose family has received a Heritage Farm Award as 50-year, third-generation Farm Credit customers.

“I couldn’t think of anything that would be a better use of our stewardship funds,” Swanson said in a Farm Credit Services news release. “… The crux of Dr. Ricketts’ program is to help make the U.S. energy independent. It’s part of our mission to give back some of our earnings to those programs that fuel the future of agriculture.”

A School of Agribusiness and Agriscience professor, researcher and faculty member since 1976, Ricketts always has been in the forefront of alternative fuels exploration. In November 2010, he drove a 1994 Toyota Tercel from Bristol to West Memphis, Ark., with the sun and hydrogen from water as the fuel source.

In addition to the provost and research offices and Farm Credit Services, Ricketts said Brentwood, Tenn.-headquartered Tractor Supply Co. has provided 20 years of financial support and the MTSU College of Basic and Applied Sciences has been a longtime contributor to his research endeavors.

###

Note to media: As Dr. Cliff Ricketts’ planned spring break coast-to-coast trip approaches, the Office of News and Media Relations will provide you with more details, including the planned route.

CAPTION FOR PHOTO

MTSU alumnus and Farm Credit Services assistant vice president Jack Swanson (’96) presents MTSU professor alternative fuel expert Dr. Cliff Ricketts with a $15,000 check to further his research.

Submitted photo

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[234] MTSU Daily Campus Tours Resume Jan. 23

2012-01-20T16:23:00.000-06:00

For release: Jan. 20, 2012

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU admissions contacts: David Cicotello, 615-898-2239 or
David.Cicotello@mtsu.edu
and Betty Pedigo (tours coordinator), 615-898-5670 or Betty.Pedigo@mtsu.edu

MTSU daily campus tours resume Jan. 23

MURFREESBORO — Daily campus tours will resume Monday, Jan. 23, at Middle Tennessee State University. Tours will be available at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. No Thursday afternoon tours will be available all semester.

Campus tours program coordinator Betty Pedigo also said no daily tours will be available Feb. 20, March 2 and March 5-9 because of spring break, March 20 and April 6 because of Good Friday. The last tour of the semester will be Wednesday, April 25.

MTSU student tour guides will be assisting with the University Honors College’s Presidents’ Day Open House on Monday, Feb. 20, and an all-day visit by the Nashville School of the Arts on Tuesday, March 20, she said.

Pedigo added that no daily tours will be conducted in May.

For more information, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/admissn/ (click on “Campus Tours”) or email tours@mtsu.edu.

###

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU is celebrating its 100th anniversary with special events and activities throughout the 2011-12 academic year.

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[233] Prospective Students Invited to Honors College Presidents' Day Open House Feb. 20 at MTSU

2012-01-20T16:22:00.001-06:00

For release: Jan. 20, 2012

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
Honors College contact: Laura Clippard, 615-898-5464 or
Laura.Clippard@mtsu.edu

Prospective students invited to Honors College
Presidents’ Day Open House Feb. 20 at MTSU

MURFREESBORO — High-school students and/or transfer students and their families are invited to Presidents’ Day Open House at the MTSU Honors College on Monday, Feb. 20.
The University Honors College provides an Ivy League experience for high-ability scholars, said Laura Clippard, Honors College adviser. The Honors College provides small classes, dedicated faculty, unique curricular and extracurricular experiences and “Collage,” an award-winning arts and literary magazine, she added.
“Intensive academic and social interaction between faculty members and students also helps to create a neighborhood of exuberant vitality,” Clippard said.
High-school students must have a 25 ACT or higher and 3.5 GPA or higher to be qualified to participate in the Honors College. Transfer students must have a college GPA of a 3.25 or higher.
The Honors College is planning a combination of educational and fun activities for prospective students and their families including free lunch, use of the Campus Recreation Center climbing wall, optional tours (Todd Art Gallery, campus/housing, School of Nursing, aerospace air traffic control lab, Business Bloomberg Trading Room and two mass communication tours) and the chance to speak directly with financial-aid representatives and the academic advisers from the different colleges.
For more information and registration, including a printable flyer, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/honors/OpenHouse.shtml.
###

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[232] Retired Supreme Court Justice O'Connor Visits MTSU Feb. 8 for Special Public Lecture

2012-01-20T16:18:00.002-06:00

Retired Supreme Court Justice O’Connor visits MTSU Feb. 8 for special public lecture

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 20, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Connie Huddleston, 615-494-7628, chudd@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will help MTSU celebrate its Centennial year during a special visit on Wednesday, Feb. 8, as part of the University’s renowned Windham Lecture Series.

Justice O’Connor will present her free public lecture at 6:30 p.m. in the Hinton Music Hall inside MTSU’s Wright Music Building.

“We are thrilled to host Justice O’Connor on campus,” said Dr. Mark Byrnes, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and a professor of political science at MTSU. “It’s quite an honor to have her come to MTSU. Since her retirement from the bench, she’s been particularly interested in civics education, and that meshes well with MTSU’s commitment to the American Democracy Project.”

Justice O’Connor, a native of El Paso, Texas, earned her bachelor’s and law degrees from Stanford University and served as San Mateo County (Calif.) deputy county attorney and a civilian attorney for the Quartermaster Market Center in Frankfurt, Germany, before practicing law in Maryvale, Ariz. She served as Arizona assistant attorney general from 1965 to 1969 and was appointed to the Arizona State Senate in 1969, earning re-election to two two-year terms in that body. In 1975, she was elected judge of the Maricopa County (Ariz.) Superior Court, where she served until her 1979 appointment to the Arizona Court of Appeals.

She became the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court when President Ronald Reagan named her as an associate justice in 1981. During her almost 25 years on the high court, Justice O’Connor cast tie-breaking votes in more than three-fourths of the panel’s 5-4 decisions.

She retired from the court in January 2006, and Arizona State University renamed its law school in her honor that same year. In 2009, President Barack Obama presented the retired jurist with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.

Justice O’Connor has also written three best-sellers: “The Majesty of the Law: Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice,” the family memoir “Lazy B” and a children’s book, “Finding Susie.” She was married to the late John Jay O’Connor III, and the couple had three sons.

MTSU’s Windham Lecture Series in Liberal Arts was established by William and Westy Windham through the MTSU Foundation. Dr. William Windham was a member of the MTSU faculty from 1955 to 1989 and served as chairman of the Department of History the last 11 years. His wife, the late Westy Windham, earned a master's degree in sociology at MTSU and was the founder of the Great American Singalong.

The inaugural Windham Lecture in 1990 featured Drs. Dan T. Carter of Emory University and Dewey W. Grantham of Vanderbilt University, who spoke on “The South and the Second Reconstruction.” Since then, the Windham Lectures have addressed topics spanning from American music to presidential rhetoric to gambling to U.S. foreign policy.

The Feb. 8 lecture is sponsored by the MTSU Centennial Committee, the College of Liberal Arts, the University Honors College, the American Democracy Project and the MTSU Department of Sociology and Anthropology. For more information, please contact the College of Liberal Arts at 615-494-7628.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[231] Tennessee Arts Commission to Host Create 2012 Teacher Training at MTSU

2012-01-20T16:16:00.003-06:00

Tennessee Arts Commission to host Create 2012 teacher training at MTSU

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 20, 2012
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dennis Adkins, 615-532-2779 or dennis.adkins@tn.gov

MURFREESBORO—The Tennessee Arts Commission will host its second “Create2012: Creativity in Education Institute” on July 15-18 at MTSU in partnership with the University's College of Education.

Create2012 will focus on increasing creativity and collaboration in Tennessee schools. Sessions will be offered for K-12 classroom teachers, arts specialists, teaching artists, special-education and resource teachers as well as principals and superintendents.

“Our first institute (at MTSU in July 2011) was highly successful, and we welcomed 400 participants from Tennessee and seven other states,” said Rich Boyd, executive director of the Tennessee Arts Commission. “Before the first event concluded, participants were asking for a repeat in 2012.”

The Creativity in Education Institute emerged from the commission’s highly successful Value Plus Schools initiative, an arts-integration model with multi-year funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

The Value Plus initiative demonstrated how the arts affect students' success by helping to close the achievement gap. Value Plus model schools made greater academic gains than the control schools, despite having larger number of economically disadvantaged students.

“Middle Tennessee State University is pleased to partner with the Tennessee Arts Commission and play host to the second annual Creativity in Education Institute this summer,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “MTSU is committed to developing well-rounded individuals who will become productive citizens in their communities. MTSU’s rich history in teacher training is only made better with this collaboration.”

Dr. Lana Seivers, dean of MTSU's College of Education and a former state commissioner of education, added, “The College of Education welcomes the opportunity to work with our partners to provide professional development for educators from across the state. We are extremely pleased to be a part of this effort.”

For more information on Create2012, visit www.tn.gov/arts/create2012.html, or contact Ann Talbott Brown at ann.brown@tn.gov.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[230] Longtime MTSU Spokesman Eyeing 'Next Chapter' in Retirement

2012-01-20T09:33:00.001-06:00

Longtime MTSU spokesman eyeing ‘next chapter’ in retirement

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 19, 2012
EDITORIAL CONTACT: News and Media Relations, 615-898-2919 or news@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO— Tom Tozer, Middle Tennessee State University’s director of news and media relations, will retire at the end of January after nearly 20 years of service to the University.

Hired initially as a staff writer, Tozer later became director of media relations and then director of what was long known as MTSU’s Office of News and Public Affairs. In 2011, he helped create MTSUNews.com as the University’s primary information platform, replacing two longtime print publications, “The Record” and “The Alumni Record.”

Tozer also helped launch “Out of the Blue,” a monthly video magazine about MTSU produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications that airs on local cable stations across the Midstate.

“Through his excellent work with all forms of media, Tom Tozer has done tremendous work in helping spread the news about the good works of our University,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “We thank him for his devoted service, and we wish him well in his retirement.”

Tozer also organized MTSU’s “Building Runners,” who help alert and guide students, faculty and staff to safety during campus emergencies like tornadoes. He and his staff have worked closely with MTSU’s Department of Public Safety to develop and implement emergency notifications with text-messaging technology.

“I have been blessed to work at MTSU, and I hope to continue to contribute in more limited ways,” Tozer said. “I would be remiss in not singling out my staff of news professionals, for whom I have the greatest respect—Gina Fann, Gina Logue, Randy Weiler and Paula Morton. They are first-rate, and the University is fortunate to have them.

“I will miss many good friends at MTSU, but most of all, I’ll miss being among college students,” he continued. “The greatest joy in this job has been to showcase their accomplishments. We have incredible scholars here, and I can only hope that they have kept me young and that their intellect has rubbed off a little.”

One of those scholars is his younger daughter, Alyssa McDonald, who will finish her master’s degree in administration and supervision at MTSU this summer. His eldest daughter, Megan Farmer, graduated from MTSU in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance. Tozer and his wife, Linda, will celebrate their 30th anniversary this year.

Through the years, Tozer has served on many MTSU committees, lectured public-relations classes, worked on promotional campaigns for conferences and other major events and represented the University in many community organizations.

Tozer was hired in 1983 by then-MTSU Public Relations Director Dot Harrison, “back when we still pasted ‘The Record’ on boards and delivered it to the ‘Daily News Journal’ for printing, back when we still put campus memos in envelopes instead of sending emails, and back when the doors of the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building first opened,” he recalled.

“This job runs the gamut,” he said of his longtime MTSU post. “You get to shake a lot of hands, write, speak and create. You also get to serve meals to kids, haul equipment around and pick up a hammer and drive signs in the ground. And that’s while wearing a shirt and tie.”

In 2000, he received the Parthenon Award from the Tennessee Press Association for his media-tip resource “Today’s Response.”

Tozer received the MTSU Foundation Public Service Award in 2007 and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Society in 2008. He has received numerous writing awards from the Tennessee College Public Relations Association and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

Tozer served as 2000-01 board president of the American Heart Association of Rutherford County and was a board member of the local Salvation Army for 10 years, including seven years as board president. He currently is a member of the board of Elders First of Rutherford County.

“It’s all good, and the next chapter will be even better,” Tozer said, adding that he looks forward to pursuing other interests, “punctuated with a lot of pauses.”

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[229] Former MTSU Student Takes Social-Work Knowledge to Haiti

2012-01-12T16:15:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 12, 2012
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

Former MTSU Student Takes Social-Work Knowledge to Haiti;
Katie Erie to Launch Orphanage for Special-Needs Children Two Years after Quake

MURFREESBORO—Former MTSU student Katie Erie, who was working at an orphanage in Haiti when a devastating earthquake rocked the Caribbean nation two years ago on Jan. 12, 2010, will return to Haiti to manage an orphanage there.

The 23-year-old former social work major from Franklin, Tenn., will launch a facility to house parents and special-needs children in Neply, Haiti. The new orphanage will be operated under the auspices of myLIFEspeaks, a 501c3 organization created in 2006 by Mike and Missy Wilson of Franklin.

Erie explained in a telephone interview from Neply how special needs children are treated as pariahs in Haiti.

“There is not very much respect for them,” Erie said. “They are shunned, locked away, not really loved, because they are considered cursed. My dream is that one day they will be respected like everyone else.”

Although her humanitarian work interrupted her college career, Erie said her work in Haiti is informed by her classroom experiences with Dr. Chuck Frost, a social-work professor at MTSU.

“His outlook on life is inspiring and very encouraging and made me feel like there’s no reason why I can’t do things,” Erie said. “I definitely know more now about how to communicate effectively with different people.”

MyLIFEspeaks currently is renting the facility Erie will manage. The group is raising money to build its own campus, which includes plans for housing, a community center, recreational facilities and a cemetery.

Haiti has a population of more than nine million people. Nearly 500,000 Haitian children are orphans, and one in five of those children have special needs.

The magnitude-seven 2010 earthquake, which destroyed the orphanage where Erie had worked, killed nearly 223,000 people and left nearly 1.5 million homeless.

To listen to “Katie in Haiti,” Gina Logue’s “MTSU on the Record” interview with Erie about her experiences during the earthquake, go to www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml and click on “January 31, 2010.”

For more information about myLIFEspeaks and its humanitarian outreach efforts in Haiti, go to www.myLIFEspeaks.com.

--30--

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[228] MTSU music-faculty group makes debut Jan. 20 with baroque tunes, instruments

2012-01-12T13:44:00.002-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 12, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—“Ensemble 1720,” a newly formed MTSU School of Music faculty period-instrument group, will make its debut Friday, Jan. 20, in the University’s Hinton Music Hall inside the Wright Music Building.

The special 7:30 p.m. performance will be free and is open to the public.

The Ensemble 1720 musicians make their performance distinctive by playing string and wind instruments in use during the Baroque era, the 17th- and early 18th-century period when Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and their colleagues created their masterpieces.

“The orchestral instruments that we know today were altered significantly in the 19th century,” said Dr. George Riordan, director of the MTSU School of Music and oboist for Ensemble 1720.

“We’ll be recreating the style that the composers would have expected, so that the music may be heard in all its original color and passion. The concert will include a variety of music by Baroque masters: George Frideric Handel, Arcangelo Corelli, Georg Phillipp Telemann, Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel and Johann Gottlieb Janitsch.”

The group will perform Corelli’s “Trio Sonata in G,” Handel’s “Trio Sonata in F,” Telemann’s “Trio Sonata in A Minor” and Stölzel ‘s “Sonata à Quattro No. 4 in F Major.”

Joining Riordan in Ensemble 1720 are MTSU School of Music faculty Andrea Dawson, violin; Christine Kim, cello; Lillian Pearson, harpsichord; Jessica Dunnavant, flute; and Angela DeBoer, horn. They’ll be joined by violinist/violist Karen Clarke from the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University and Belmont University School of Music professor Francis Perry, who will perform on a theorbo, a large lute with an extra set of bass strings.

For more MTSU School of Music concert information, call 615-898-2493 or visit www.mtsumusic.com and click on the "Concert Calendar" link.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[227] More Diabetes Workshops Available in Rutherford County

2012-01-11T09:05:00.004-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 11, 2012
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MORE DIABETES WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY New Sessions at Murfreesboro FUMC, Smyrna Public Library

MURFREESBORO--The next series of free “Yes I Can” Diabetes Self-Management Workshops are slated to begin this month and next in Rutherford County.

Sessions are planned on Wednesdays beginning Jan. 18 through Feb. 22 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, located at 265 W. Thompson Lane in Murfreesboro. Friday sessions begin Feb. 3 and run through March 9 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Smyrna Public Library at 400 Enon Springs Road.

“Yes I Can!” is a free six-session workshop series to help diabetics and people with pre-diabetes symptoms in Rutherford County improve their quality of life with techniques and strategies to help them manage their disease. Focal points include healthy eating, exercise, medications, preventing complications, medications, communication skills and more.

The Center for Health and Human Services at MTSU is supervising the workshops, which are funded through a grant from the Tennessee Department of Health.

The sessions are limited to 20 people each. Participants must be 18 years of age or over. A doctor’s referral is not required to attend, though pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, go to www.mtsu.edu/achcs/YesICan.shtml or contact Cindy Chafin at Cynthia.chafin@mtsu.edu or 615-898-5493 or 615-847-3081.

--30--

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[226] Professor's Work Deemed One of '100 Best' Business Books

2012-01-11T09:05:00.002-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 11, 2012
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

PROFESSOR’S WORK DEEMED ONE OF ‘100 BEST’ BUSINESS BOOKS
‘No Man’s Land’ by MTSU’s Doug Tatum Hailed as ‘Essential Reading’

MURFREESBORO—Doug Tatum, holder of the Wright Chair of Entrepreneurship at MTSU, is included in the recently updated edition of “The 100 Best Business Books of All Time.”

Written by Jack Covert and Todd Sattersten, the new November 2011 paperback edition is revised to include books written since its original 2006 publication. One of the additions is Tatum’s 2007 book “No Man’s Land: What to Do When Your Company is Too Big to Be Small but Too Small to Be Big.”

Covert’s review of “No Man’s Land” calls it “essential reading for any entrepreneur looking to grow their business or wondering if they even should. Tatum does believe that some businesses have to remain small to remain profitable, but for those that are suited for growth, he delineates four Ms needed to make it a successful venture: Market, Management, Model and Money.”

“100 Best” also highlights a quote from Tatum’s book and provides links to another review and one of Tatum’s speeches on YouTube.

Tatum, who is an associate professor in the MTSU Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship, was chairman and CEO of Tatum LLC for more than 30 years.

He grew the company to the largest executive-services consulting firm in the United States with more than 1,000 employees and professionals in 30 offices. He later served on the firm’s board and as chairman emeritus until the company merged with Spherion Corporation in early 2010.

In 2011, Tatum was tapped to head concentrated research for the Institute for Exceptional Growth Companies to investigate the performance of EGCs through economic cycles and how they contribute to job creation and economic prosperity.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[225] MTSU Symphony and Chamber Orchestras Plan Two Spring Concerts

2012-01-11T09:03:00.001-06:00

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@mtsu.edu

MTSU Symphony and Chamber Orchestras Plan Two Spring Concerts

MURFREESBORO—The MTSU Symphony Orchestra and the MTSU Chamber Orchestra will present the first of two free spring concerts at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, in the Hinton Music Hall inside the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.

The second concert is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday, April 22.

The Feb. 26 performance will feature Mozart’s “Flute Concerto No. 2” with soloist Kallie Rogers, a Master of Arts student in flute performance at MTSU.

The MTSU Symphony Orchestra also will perform the first and third movements of Mahler’s “Symphony No. 5.”

“This is a powerful and moving work,” said Dr. Carol Nies, associate professor of music at MTSU and director of the groups, who added that the “light and sparkling” first movement of Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 1” also will be a highlight of the Feb. 26 concert.

Both concerts are free and open to the public.

For more information on MTSU School of Music concerts, click on the “Concert Calendar” link at www.MTSUmusic.com or call 615-898-2493.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[224] MTSU Will Be Closed Jan 16. for Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

2012-01-11T08:40:00.000-06:00

For release: Jan. 11, 2012

News and Media Relations contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-5616 or Thomas.Tozer@mtsu.edu

MTSU Will Be Closed Jan. 16 for Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

MURFREESBORO — MTSU will be closed Monday, Jan. 16, for the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, University officials said. No classes will be held and no offices will be open. University classes will resume and all offices and departments will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17.

Saturday, Jan. 14, classes will be held, a campus official said.

The James E. Walker Library will be closed Sunday and Monday, reopening at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. It will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 13 and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 14.

The Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center will be closed Saturday through Monday, reopening at 6 a.m. Tuesday. It will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. this Friday. The Campus Pharmacy, which will be closed all weekend, will reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Friday’s hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the drive-through open until 4:30.

For students, faculty and visitors who will be on campus during the weekend, McCallie Dining Hall and Cyber Café will be the only food venues open. McCallie will be open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and open from 10 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Monday. Cyber Café will be open from 10 a.m. until 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Monday, it will be open from 4:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. Jan. 17.

The James Union Building will be closed Saturday through Monday. Keathley University Center will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday and be open from 4 until 11 p.m. Monday.

###

Media note: In case of emergency, contact MTSU Campus Police at 615-898-2424. They can contact MTSU News and Media Relations personnel.

###

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[223] MTSU Spring 2012 Semester Begins Jan. 12

2012-01-10T09:19:00.001-06:00

News and Media Relations contacts: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
or Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919 or Thomas.Tozer@mtsu.edu

Student Affairs/Enrollment contact: Dr. Deb Sells, 615-898-2440 or Debra.Sells@mtsu.edu

MTSU Spring 2012 semester begins Jan. 12

(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU administrators, faculty and staff are ready to launch the spring 2012 semester for the projected 23,700 students expected to attend. Classes will begin Thursday, Jan. 12.

The University already is a healthier campus; on Jan. 1, it went tobacco-free.

Officials said spring 2012 enrollment should be slightly below that of spring 2011, when 24,660 students were registered for classes. As of Jan. 5, MTSU’s spring enrollment stood at 22,659. The numbers will change daily as students register even after classes start.

Enrollment-management officials will submit student census totals to the Tennessee Board of Regents sometime after Jan. 26.

MTSU’s fall 2011 enrollment was an all-time record 26,442 students.

As the University builds toward two Saturday, May 5, commencement ceremonies in Murphy Center, a busy spring is planned, including:

• the 12-week Spring 2012 Honors Lecture Series, “Prison Writing: From Boethius to Medhi Zana,” which begins Monday, Jan. 23, with Dr. Philip Phillips’ presentation, “Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and the Tradition of Prison Writing”; for more details on the free public series, visit bit.ly/MTHonorsLecturesS12;

• the 39th annual Groundhog Day Luncheon to benefit Blue Raider baseball on Wednesday, Feb. 2, starting at 11:30 a.m. in Murphy Center (call 615-898-2210 or 1-800-937-6878 for tickets);

• the launch of MTSU’s Black History Month activities with the annual Unity Luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 11 a.m. in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room (call 615-898-2591 or email Brenda.Wunder@mtsu.edu for tickets);

• free Friday Star Parties Feb. 3, Feb. 24, April 13, April 27 and June 5 in Room 102 of Wiser-Patten Science Hall (call 615-898-2130 for more information);

• a College to Career Fair and Teacher Recruitment Fair Career Fair at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center Tuesday, Feb. 14, and an Internships and Summer Jobs Fair at Murphy Center Tuesday, March 20, both sponsored by MTSU’s Career Development Center (visit www.mtsu.edu/career for details);

• the Wednesday, Feb. 8, Posters at the Capitol in Nashville and March 26-30 Scholars Week (www.mtsu.edu/research/scholars_week.shtml) activities across campus;

• the University Honors College’s third annual President’s Day Open House and campus tours, set for Monday, Feb. 20, in the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building (visit www.mtsu.edu/honors/OpenHouse.shtml for details);

• the third annual Health and Fitness Day Wednesday, Feb. 22, in MTSU’s Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center (call 615-898-2104 for details);

• the annual Science Olympiad on Saturday, Feb. 25, across campus for area middle- and high-school students and an Elementary Science Olympiad Saturday, May 12, at John Pittard Elementary School;

• the annual School of Agribusiness and Agriscience Career Fair Wednesday, March 16 (visit www.mtsu.edu/abas/ABAS_Career_Fair.shtml); and

• Admissions’ Spring Preview Days on Saturday, March 24, and Saturday, April 21, and a special Blue and White spring football game tour on Saturday, April 14 (615-898-2111 or www.mtsu.edu/admissn).

For MTSU’s spring 2012 academic calendar, visit www.mtsu.edu/calendar_academic.shtml.
###

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[222] Cheatham County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

2012-01-09T15:56:00.002-06:00

For Release: Jan. 9, 2012
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

CHEATHAM COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Rolling Hills Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO) — The Rolling Hills Farm, located in Cheatham County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
In 1910, James Washington Fielder and his wife, Annetta Frazier Fielder, transferred almost 17 acres to James Houston Fielder and his wife, Hettie Adkins Fielder. The farm, located in Cheatham County, is approximately two miles from the Henrietta community. As was the case on many other farms in this area, tobacco was the primary cash crop, but the family also raised vegetables, hay, hogs, chickens, corn, wheat, cattle, sheep and fruit. James and Hettie were the parents of Everett, Clyde, Lance (called “Snooks”) and Dalton.
Lance “Snooks” Fielder acquired his father’s farm in 1945. Lance expanded the farm to 279 acres and continued to raise tobacco, hogs, hay, corn and cattle. Lance married Effie Mae Barfield and, as they had no heirs, Everett Fielder Jr., a grandson of farm founder James Houston Fielder, acquired the 279 acre farm in 1973. Everett married Anita Grigg and they were the parents of six children.
Today, the Rolling Hills Farm is owned by Anita Grigg Fielder, the widow of Everett Fielder Jr., and their daughter, Brenda Fielder. Brenda is married to Jimbeau Hinson. The family owns the original acreage that the founder acquired in 1910and raises cattle and hay on the property. The original farmhouse, home of the founding couple, is still in use by the family and has been restored. The family also maintains an original smokehouse, which serves as a family museum and two log corncribs that the owners use for storage.
In 2006, Brenda Fielder, who serves as farm manager, received the Outstanding Conservation Farmer of the Year for Cheatham County. In November 2011, the family gathered at the historic farm to celebrate their Century Farm certification as well as the birthday of Mrs. Dalton Fielder (“Mama D”) Gupton, who was born on the farm 90 years ago and has lived her life on Houston Fielder Road. Rolling Hills Farm is the 14th Century Farm certified in Cheatham County.

Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

[221] Gibson County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

2012-01-09T15:55:00.002-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 9, 2012
CONTACT Info: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

GIBSON COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Thompson Homeplace Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)— The Thompson Homeplace, located in Gibson County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
Thomas Thompson purchased 244 acres of farmland in the Mt. Olive community of Gibson County, northwest of Dyer, in 1841. Thomas, born in Orange County, NC, came to Gibson County from Maury County in middle Tennessee. Thomas married Elizabeth Koons, and they were the parents of four children, Mary, Elizabeth, John and Henry. The Thompsons cultivated cotton and corn and raised cattle and hogs.
John Thompson acquired the family farm in 1853. Under his ownership, the farm expanded to 319 acres. One of the first elders of the Mt. Olive Cumberland Presbyterian Church, John was married to Nancy Minerva Wright Thompson. Their children were James, Gideon and Luther A’Macy. James and Gideon died in childhood leaving Luther to inherit the farm in 1887. He married Martha Eulala Phillips Thompson and they were the parents of nine children. Luther died in 1913; Martha died in 1937.
Martha Evelyn Thompson, one of Luther and Martha Eulala’s children, acquired the family farm in 1937. She married Esbert McVay, and they were the parents of Benny Joe and Nancy Eulala.
In 1983, Nancy Eulala McVay Thompson inherited the family farm. She is married to James Wayne Thompson and their children are Stephen Dwayne and Cindy Rena Prater. The Thompson’s live in a house built in the 1850s. Cotton, corn, soybeans, wheat and hogs are raised on the 91-acre farm, which is worked by Gary Fesmire. Nancy’s family is still active in the Mt. Olive Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and after a tornado destroyed the building in 2006, her brother, Benny McVay, and his son, Micah McVay, were the contractors to rebuild the structure. Nancy’s granddaughters, Shelby Lynn Thompson and Haley Elizabeth Thompson, are the sixth generation to be raised on the Thompson Homeplace.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

[220] Macon County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

2012-01-09T15:54:00.001-06:00

For Release: Jan 9, 2012
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

MACON COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Jenkins Sunny Slope Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)—The Jenkins Sunny Slope Farm, located in Macon County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU Tennessee State University.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
The Jenkins Sunny Slope Farm illustrates the difficulty some families face in proving that their farms are eligible for inclusion in the Century Farm program. Due to courthouse fires that occurred in several counties at different times, it can be a challenge for families to trace the deeds to their family farms.
While the Jenkins family has been in Tennessee since at least 1804, the first legal record of the family owning their Macon County farm is an 1874 tax receipt. In that year, James Daniel Kirby was taxed for his 62 acres in the 10th District. James raised soybeans, corn, hay, cattle and timber on his farm, which was located eight miles from Red Boiling Springs. James never married, so two nieces and a great-nephew acquired the farm after his death.
Amanda Fitzgerald, Texas Tennessee Jenkins, and Daniel Esley “D.E.” Jenkins acquired the farm between 1900 and 1910 and owned a total of 133 acres. During their ownership, the farm produced corn, soybeans, wheat, hogs, sheep, poultry, dairy cows, cattle, horses, hay and timber.
The children of D.E. and Susie Adeline Dyer Jenkins inherited the farm after the deaths of Susie, Texas Tennessee and Dixon Jenkins. The heirs, Hattie Irene Jenkins, Daniel Esley Doyle Jenkins and Thelma Flo Jenkins, raised corn, tobacco, wheat, soybeans, hogs, poultry, milk cows, cattle, horses, hay and timber on the farm. Hattie Irene Jenkins married Edward Kimball Johnson. They had no children. Thelma Flo Jenkins never married. Daniel Esley Doyle Jenkins married Verda Alline Moss, and their two children, Ann Jenkins Hall and Fran Jenkins Belt inherited the farm from their father and aunts between 1978 and 2005.
Ann and Fran own 133 acres and raise cattle, horses, hay, corn, tobacco and soybeans. Ann married Fay Hall, and they are the parents of Lisa Hall Holland, Randall Fay Hall, Kimball Fitzgerald Hall and Alan Jenkins Hall. Fran married Fred Belt and Ann and Fran, along with their spouses and Ann’s sons are actively involved in the management of the farm, which includes a cattle operation. Jenkins Sunny Slope Farm is the 24th Century Farm to be certified in Macon County.

Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

[219] Putnam County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

2012-01-09T15:53:00.001-06:00

For Release: Jan. 9, 2012
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

PUTNAM COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Young Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)— The Young Farm, located in Putnam County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
In 1902, Edith “Eado” Young purchased her 62-acre farm in Putman County for $27.80. A widow for 14 years, Eado is among the very few women who established a Tennessee Century Farm. On her acreage, she and her three children—Melonee, Fred and John—raised corn, hay, hogs, chickens, turkeys and cattle. When Eado received news that her husband, Dr. John H. Young, had fallen ill while treating patients in Wilson County in 1888, she immediately rode nonstop to be with her spouse. The family recalls that “Dr. Young was dead upon her arrival, and the horse died shortly after.”
Eado gave the farm to her daughter-in-law and grandson, Dora and Phillip Young, in June of 1913 for “the love and affection” she held for them. Dora and her husband, Eado’s son John H. Young, continued to produce many of the same crops, livestock and poultry.
In 1922, the land transferred to Hance Reeder, Melonnee Young Reeder’s husband. In addition to raising corn, hay, hogs, chickens, turkey and cattle, the owners began to cultivate tobacco.
Phillip Toral Young and his wife, Estelle C. Young, acquired all 62 acres of the original farm in 1950 and grew tobacco, corn and cattle. They sold the land to their son, Paul A. Young in December 1976. Paul is the great-grandson of the founder. Though much of the property is in dense timber, Paul currently grows tobacco, corn and hay on 25 of the original 62 acres. A springhouse, smokehouse, tobacco barn and the farmhouse, built in the early 20th century, are part of the farm’s history.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

[218] Greene County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

2012-01-09T15:51:00.001-06:00

For Release: Jan. 9, 2012
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

GREENE COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Bolton Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)— The Bolton Farm, located in Greene County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
When preparing their Century Farm applications some families take the opportunity to compile their family histories and produce publications for their relatives and close friends. These compilations also are valuable to local and state history collections. James Chandley produced “The Boltons of East Tennessee” as he was preparing the Bolton Farm application.
Thomas Jefferson Bolton, a Civil War Union veteran, inherited 110 acres in 1888 after his mother passed away the previous year. The deed was signed by 15 members of his family. The farm is on the Greene and Washington County line, about one mile northeast of Limestone.
Thomas met his wife, Sallie Ann Bolton, while on a horse-buying trip to Virginia. Family tradition relates that when Thomas returned with his bride, his brother, David Franklin, asked him, “if there were any more like that in his wife’s family?” David soon traveled to Virginia and married Sally Ann’s sister, Jenny. The brothers’ families maintained a close relationship as the Bolton Farm and their dairy production grew and prospered.
Thomas Jefferson and Sally Ann were the parents of three children: Uel Garfield, Minnie Deborah (called “Donnie”) and Annie Lee. A six-room, two-story home was built in 1893. The family managed an extensive jersey cattle operation and grew corn, wheat and tobacco and raised chickens.
In 1917, 91 of the 110 acres were transferred to Uel Bolton. He and his wife, Bonnie Cox Bolton, continued to farm, but he added hogs to his livestock. Following the progressive farming methods of the early 20th century, the Bolton family installed automated gas-powered milking systems. The concrete floor laid in the dairy barn was one of the first in the area.
Uel sold eggs, milk and butter as far away as Knoxville, distributing them via the local train network, and also to the Sugar Creek Creamery and local customers. His mother, Sally Ann, churned enough of the Boltons’ butter to warrant a stamp that read “Fresh Dairy Butter made by Mrs. T. J. Bolton.”
While serving as Washington County judge, today’s equivalent to county mayor, Uel died in 1938. Mary Ruth, the couple’s daughter, her husband, Rex William Brockwell, and Bonnie continued to work the farm with the help of tenant farmers.
In 1958, Rex and Mary Ruth Bolton Brockwell acquired Bolton Farm. No longer operating the dairy, they began to concentrate on growing corn, wheat, tobacco, hogs and chickens with much of the work done by tenant farmers and sharecroppers. Mary Ruth was born in 1912 in the house her grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Bolton, built, and lived there her entire life. With her passing in
2007, her daughter, Mary Lynn, and Mary Lyons husband, James D. Chandley, came to own 85 of the original acres. With the help of their son, Charles Randall, the Chandleys raised tobacco until 2004 and now concentrate on corn, tobacco and 80 to 100 head of beef cattle. Mr. Chandley’s history of the family and the farm contains a superb collection of family and farm photographs and information that will be appreciated by the family and the community of Limestone for generations.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

[217] Longtime MTSU Administrator Robert LaLance Dies at age 72

2012-01-06T16:21:00.000-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 6, 2012
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

LONGTIME MTSU ADMINISTRATOR ROBERT LALANCE DIES AT AGE 72
Hailed for ‘Calm, Stable and Positive Leadership’ as Vice President of Student Affairs

MURFREESBORO—Dr. Robert C. LaLance Jr., the longest-serving vice president in Middle Tennessee State University’s history, died this morning at his Murfreesboro home. He was 72 years old.

LaLance had been ill with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, since 2010.

He was vice president for student affairs in service to four different MTSU presidents from 1975-1998.

LaLance’s prior posts with the University include dean of students (1970-1975), dean of men (1969-1970), residence hall director (1965-1970), and instructor and assistant professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and director of men’s intramural sports (1963-1969).

MTSU annually presents the Robert C. LaLance Jr. Achievement Award to “a student who has shown remarkable determination, has had to make sacrifices and is contributing to the community during work toward a degree,” according to University literature.

The University’s list of LaLance’s career accomplishments states that he “displayed a unique ability to relate to students, empathize with their concerns and act as an advocate for the quality of student life. From the student unrest of the 1960s and ‘70s to the high-tech savvy of the 1990s, he provided calm, stable and positive leadership in the student affairs area,”

In 1994, LaLance was presented the John Jones Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean by Region III of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.

A native of Huntington, W. Va., he was inducted into the West Virginia University School of Physical Education Hall of Fame in 2005.

LaLance earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from West Virginia University in 1962, a master’s degree in health and physical education from the University of Tennessee in 1963 and a doctorate in physical education from MTSU in 1974.

LaLance is survived by his wife, Martha Lou, his three children, Wendy White (Marty), Chuck (Amy) and Amy Walker (Rusty), eight grandchildren and his brother, Richard (Jan), a retired professor in MTSU’s Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (now the Department of Health and Human Performance).

Visitation is slated for 2-7 pm. Sunday, Jan. 8, at Woodfin Funeral Chapel, 1488 Lascassas Pike, Murfreesboro. A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 9, at First Presbyterian Church, 210 N. Spring St., Murfreesboro. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church’s Columbarium Fund, the MTSU Foundation or the hospice at Caris Healthcare of Murfreesboro.

--30--

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[216] Longtime MTSU Professor Nominated for Athena Award

2012-01-06T16:20:00.001-06:00

LONGTIME MTSU PROFESSOR NOMINATED FOR ATHENA AWARD
Former Social Work Professor Sharon Shaw-McEwen One of 28 Honorees

MURFREESBORO—Dr. Sharon Shaw-McEwen, a former professor in the Department of Social Work at MTSU, is one of the 28 nominees for the 2012 Nashville ATHENA Award.

Shaw-McEwen, who retired from MTSU at the end of the fall 2011 semester, is president and chief executive officer of the Centers for Family Life, a nonprofit organization that provides in-kind professional social services such as family counseling, education and prevention. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Pi Nu Omega chapter, sponsored her nomination.

A native of Humboldt, Tenn., Shaw-McEwen has served as an expert consultant for the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention in Washington, D.C., and provides technical assistance to substance abuse, mental health and educational programs that serve African-American families and children.

Shaw-McEwen holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Bradley University, a master’s degree in social work from the University of Tennessee-Nashville and a doctorate in education from Vanderbilt University with a focus in administrative leadership and human resource development.

In 2001, MTSU presented her with both the John Pleas Distinguished Faculty Award and the Ebony Achievement Faculty Award.

The ATHENA Award and Scholarship Program has honored outstanding Nashville women “for their skills in business, leadership and service to their community” since 1991, since 1991, according to the group’s webpage at www.nashvillecable.org.

The statuette will be presented at a gala event scheduled for March 26 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[215] MTSU is Key Player in 'Pa's Fiddle' PBS Special

2012-01-06T16:19:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 6, 2012
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385 or gina.fann@mtsu.edu

MTSU is key player in ‘Pa’s Fiddle’ PBS special

MURFREESBORO—Music City all-stars are bringing Charles “Pa” Ingalls’ old-time fiddle music and songs alive for a PBS special, and MTSU will be right by the fireside.

“Pa's Fiddle: America's Music” will feature award-winning musician and musical director Randy Scruggs and an all-star string band—Matt Combs, Dennis Crouch, Chad Cromwell, Hoot Hester and Shad Cobb—along with artists Randy Travis, Rodney Atkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ashton Shepherd, The Roys, Natalie Grant and NBC’s “The Sing-Off” champions Committed.

Dr. Dale Cockrell, director of MTSU’s renowned Center for Popular Music and a scholar of the early American tunes immortalized in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie” book series, is coordinating aspects of the music special. It will be taped Jan. 6 in Nashville.

MTSU students will be behind the scenes to film “Inside Pa’s Fiddle,” a documentary on the inspiration, creation and execution of the special. The students’ documentary will accompany the PBS special in a planned DVD package.

“Pa's Fiddle: America's Music” will be broadcast during the 2012 June pledge-drive season on PBS stations throughout the nation. A new CD, “Pa's Fiddle: American Fiddler,” featuring a portion of the 127 songs mentioned in the “Little House” books, will be released at the same time. The CD will be in stores June 5 but is available now as a pre-release special at www.laura-ingalls-wilder.com.

“It’s terribly exciting to see this all finally happening,” said Cockrell, who also is a professor emeritus of musicology at Vanderbilt University. “But as exciting as it’s been for me, it’s even more exciting to see these excellent musicians get so excited about playing this music. They don’t get the opportunity to do that very much, and to see them almost melting in the studio in the presence of this great music is a wonderful opportunity.”

Cockrell, who is the founder, owner and president of Pa’s Fiddle Recordings LLC, a record label dedicated to recording the music referenced in Wilder’s books, teamed with actor Dean Butler, who played Wilder’s husband, Almanzo, in the “Little House” TV series, to create the “Pa’s Fiddle” project.

“I’ve been working on the ‘Pa’s Fiddle’ project for about 12 years now,” Cockrell explained, “and sometimes it’s felt like we’ve been pushing that boulder up that hill every day. Now we’re finally at the top and get to share this music with everyone.”

The student crew from the Department of Electronic Media Communication in MTSU’s College of Mass Communication will be led by Professor Tom Neff, founder and former CEO of The Documentary Channel and an award-winning producer and director. Six to 18 students will be on-site for the special, and another six to 18 students will work in post-production on editing, graphics and sound with Professors Clare Bratten and Matt Foglia.

EMC major Sam Willey, a junior at MTSU, will direct the behind-the-scenes documentary in Nashville. Haley Ellis, who graduated in December from MTSU, and Megan Brantley, another junior EMC major, are line producers.

“This is a wonderful learning experience for us all,” Neff said. “I’m thrilled to be involved and help students any way I can. It’s a unique and wonderful way MTSU is tying the professional world to the student world. We’re always looking for real-world projects, so this is a great mix.”

The documentary has a quick turnaround time to meet the PBS airing and sales deadline, so MTSU students will be working through the early spring to create an archival-quality product.

“Sometimes it’s a blessing for a media project to have a fast deadline,” joked new EMC department chairman Billy Pittard, a multi-Emmy-winning media entrepreneur and MTSU alumnus. “It’s great to see our students shine on a project like this.”

For more information about the “Pa’s Fiddle” project, visit www.laura-ingalls-wilder.com. For information about MTSU’s Center for Popular Music, visit http://popmusic.mtsu.edu.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

[214] Make a Journey with 'Exodus Project' at MTSU Jan. 12-13

2012-01-06T16:18:00.000-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 6, 2012
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385 or gina.fann@mtsu.edu

Make a journey with 'Exodus Project' at MTSU Jan. 12-13

MURFREESBORO—The MTSU Dance Theatre will take audiences on a journey of historic and contemporary migrations with "The Exodus Project," a special dance concert in the University’s Tucker Theatre Jan. 12 and 13.

The production, which precedes the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday on Jan. 16, features commissioned works by nationally recognized guest artists with unique perspectives on issues of diversity and multiculturalism. They include:

• Travis Gatling, who choreographed “A Lantern for the Hitching Post” as an exploration of the Underground Railroad;
• Holly Handman Lopez, who created “Yours, Faithfully” to embody her own heritage and the legacy of the Holocaust; and
• Cynthia Guttierez Garner, who developed “Parched” to examine the Mexican border crossings.

The concerts begin at 7:30 each night. They also will include four dances choreographed by Professor Kim Neal Nofsinger, artistic director of the MTSU Dance Theatre. The world premiere of “The Clearing” features MTSU dance faculty, and 20 members of the company will perform the other dances. Those works will be complemented by performances from the T.Lang Dance Company of Atlanta and Company d, a Memphis troupe of dancers with disabilities.

“The Exodus Project” was made possible with support from the MTSU Office of the University Provost, Black History Month and the MTSU Distinguished Lecture Fund.

General-admission tickets for "The Exodus Project" are $10 for adults and $5 for children up to 12th grade, as well as $5 for MTSU staff. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid student ID. The Tucker Theatre box office will open at 6:30 p.m. before each performance.

For more information, please visit www.mtsu.edu/dance/specialevents.shtml.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

(EDITORS: “T.Lang Dance Company” and “Company d” in fourth graf are cq.)

[213] Arrowmont School Artists Exhibit Work at MTSU Jan. 12-Feb. 2

2012-01-06T16:17:00.000-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 4, 2012
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Eric Snyder, 615-898-5653

Arrowmont School artists exhibit work at MTSU Jan. 12-Feb. 2

MURFREESBORO—MTSU’s first art exhibition of 2012 focuses on the work of four artists-in-residence from Gatlinburg’s renowned Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.

Opening on Thursday, Jan. 12, in the University’s Todd Gallery, the "Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts Exhibition" will showcase the work of artists Chandra DeBuse, Dustin Farnsworth, Phil Haralam and Lisa Johnson.

“As artists-in-residence at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, they combine today’s contemporary artistic vision with a commitment to continue the rich heritage of traditional craftsmanship found in the east Tennessee region,” says Todd Gallery Secretary Eric Snyder.

DeBuse describes her work as functional pottery that incorporates narrative imagery, pattern and form to reflect human attitudes towards play, “beckon[ing] users to ponder the playful message illustrated on each.” Farnsworth, known for his skill in woodworking and printmaking, says his hand-carved and sewn figurative sculptures “blur the line between realism and vintage plaything.”

Haralam combines sculpted forms and graphic imagery into nonrepresentative psychological portraits, creating “layered compositions that emulate the seemingly random associations embedded within the human psyche.” And Johnson, whose work involves metalsmithing and jewelry, aims to convey “the juxtaposition of puns, translations, irony and duality.”

The Arrowmont exhibit at MTSU will continue through Thursday, Feb. 2. An artists’ reception is planned for Tuesday, Jan. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. Student lectures also are scheduled throughout Todd Hall that day.

All exhibitions and receptions are free and open to the public.

Todd Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; it’s closed on state holidays. For parking and other information, contact Snyder at 615-898-5653. For information on MTSU’s Todd Gallery, visit www.mtsu.edu/art/barngallery.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[212] MTSU Closes until Jan. 3 for Holidays

2012-01-06T16:16:00.004-06:00

For release: Dec. 23, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu

MTSU closes until Jan. 3 for holidays

MURFREESBORO — Middle Tennessee State University will be closed until Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, University officials said.

All campus offices and departments will be closed during this time. The closures will include the Cope Administration Building; James E. Walker Library; Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center; Keathley University Center; MT Dining food service facilities; and James Union Building.

MTSU offices will be open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Jan. 3. Spring 2012 classes will begin on Thursday, Jan. 13.

Murphy Center will be open for MT Lady Raiders’ basketball games against Kentucky on Wednesday, Dec. 28 (7 p.m. tipoff) and South Alabama on Saturday, Dec. 31 (noon tipoff) and Blue Raiders’ home games against Florida International on Thursday, Dec. 29 (7 p.m. tipoff) and South Alabama on Dec. 31 (2:30 p.m. tipoff).

Blue Raider baseball will host winter camps Dec. 27-28 for ages 7 through high-school seniors in the renovated Stephen B. Smith Training Facility and Murphy Center auxiliary gym. Call 615-898-2961 or email Jim.McGuire@mtsu.edu for details.
###

Media note: In case of emergencies, media should contact the MTSU Police (Office of Public Safety) by calling 615-898-2424. MTSU Police can relay messages to MTSU News and Media Relations personnel if necessary.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[211] Stephen B. Smith Adds College Degree to His Long List of Achievements

2012-01-06T16:16:00.001-06:00

Stephen B. Smith adds college degree to his long list of achievements
MURFREESBORO—Stephen B. Smith, chairman of the board of Haury & Smith Contractors, Inc., one of Nashville’s oldest development and home building companies, received his bachelor’s degree in liberal studies Saturday from Middle Tennessee State University.
A highly successful businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Smith attended MTSU to study finance in the 1970s and earned three letters on the varsity baseball team. He left college before completing his degree.
“It’s never too late to go back to school,” Smith said amid the noisy celebration following the afternoon ceremony in Murphy Center. “And it’s important to the people who love you. I’m proud of the time and effort of all 1700-plus students who went through the line today in order to advance in life.”
Even without a college degree, Smith’s advances in life have been prodigious. He served as the national finance co-chair for Lamar Alexander’s presidential campaign and was the finance chairman for former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s leadership political action committee.
He has served on numerous business and civic boards, as well as on the Metropolitan Nashville Planning Commission and the Regional Transit Authority. He was chairman of the board of Nashville Parks and Recreation.
Smith’s passion for horses earned him administrative positions in the walking-horse industry, and as a rider, he won 10 world championships. In 1992, he was named Amateur World Grand Champion. In 2001, he was inducted into the Tennessee Walking Horse Hall of Fame.
In 2007, he was awarded the MS Hope Award by the National MS Society Mid-South Chapter. In 2008, the Tennessee Board of Regents honored him with the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy. In 2010, he received the Jennings A. Jones Champion of Free Enterprise Award from MTSU’s College of Business.
Smith led the effort to raise $5 million to build a new baseball facility at Middle Tennessee State University, the Reese L. Smith Jr. baseball complex, named after his father. In addition, the Stephen B. Smith Baseball Clubhouse and Indoor Training Facility is a first-class addition to MTSU’s athletic program. In 2004, he was inducted into the Blue Raider Sports Hall of Fame and has served on both the BRAA board and the President’s Council.
“What all the Smiths have been good at is keeping up with something until it’s finished,” Smith said, regarding his academic accomplishment. “When I realized I could do it, I did it. If you can, you should.”
####

Editor: Photo #0320 in the photo group is Stephen B. Smith and MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. This photo was taken by Classic Photography.

The other photo of Smith shaking hands with Dr. Brad Bartel, University Provost, was taken by MTSU’s Andy Heidt, MTSU Photo Services.

[210] MTSU Graduates Challenged to Assume 'Mantle of Leadership'

2012-01-06T16:15:00.002-06:00

Dec. 17, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

MTSU graduates challenged to assume ‘mantle of leadership’

MURFREESBORO—More than 1,780 Middle Tennessee State University students received their degrees Saturday during the morning and afternoon ceremonies in Murphy Center. Of those, 293 were graduate degrees at the master’s and doctorate levels.
After welcoming remarks, McPhee introduced the platform party and asked the faculty, whom he called “the heart and soul of this University,” to stand and be recognized. The president introduced the morning commencement speaker, State Sen. Delores R. Gresham, R-Somerville.
With a touch of humor, Gresham greeted “proud parents, doting grandparents, dozing siblings and proud members of this graduating class.”
The senator’s brief address focused on the theme of leadership, and several times throughout her remarks, her mantra was composed of four words: “It matters who leads.”
“Effective leadership focuses on how things should be and how they can be improved,” Gresham noted. She expressed her frustration with the inertia that exists in government and the misdirected focus on precedents rather than creative and bold solutions. She referred to her “personal heroes,” St. Francis of Assisi, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. as models of the true leader who “has the capacity to define oneself to others in a way that clarifies a vision for the future.”
“I cannot see Abraham Lincoln being concerned about interest groups,” she said. “He was guided by a moral compass, the same compass that guided a young Southern preacher years later. They all followed their conscience. They ignored the metrics that others used to define success. They changed the world. It matters who leads,” she reiterated.
Gresham, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, paid tribute to “my band of brothers” when she stated with particular emphasis, “You manage things—but you lead people.” The audience applauded.
“My prayer for you is that you seize the mantle of leadership and make it matter. It matters who leads. And now it’s your turn,” Gresham concluded.
Emmy Award-winning journalist Karla L. Winfrey, an MTSU alumna (‘B.S. ’82), recipient of the MTSU Young Alumni Award and a member of the College of Mass Communication Wall of Fame, was the speaker for the afternoon commencement ceremony.
Winfrey followed up on the theme of leadership by telling the graduates that real leaders empower others to reach their full potential.
“When you look in the rearview mirror, hopefully you’ll see more than your own reflection,” she said. “There was a teacher, a coach, a pastor, and aunt and uncle—take note of the shadows that outline your life. They are your supporting cast, your cheerleaders.
“Not everyone can be a leader perhaps,” she continued, “but you can be a great soldier, a good team player.
“Fear of failure can be frightening,” she said. “But the first quarter doesn’t determine who’d going to win the game. You will fail at some things. But if you have passion, you’ll have to pursue your dream. Keep moving because the world will not stop for you.”
Winfrey’s expressed her primary message in three words: “Get a life. Get a life and live it. Start making choices that are led by your own heart, mind and soul. … Your real education is about to start.”
The speaker cautioned graduates not to be “intoxicated” by power and pride and not to take themselves too seriously. She advised them to surround themselves with trusted friends and family who “keep you anchored in your values,” she noted.
“Look to your left and right. This is your network. As you succeed, pull someone else up with you. Use your degree to serve your family, community and university.”
-30-

[209] Local Reporter Phil Williams, MTSU Alumnus, Wins Coveted DuPont Award

2012-01-06T16:14:00.001-06:00

Dec. 21, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

Local reporter Phil Williams, MTSU alumnus, wins coveted duPont award

MURFREESBORO—Phil Williams, an Honors graduate from Middle Tennessee State University’s College of Mass Communication (B.S. ’85), leads the investigative news team at Nashville’s WTVF-NewsChannel 5 that just received a 2012 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award for excellence in local reporting.
The local CBS affiliate was one of 14 duPont winners nationwide announced Wednesday.
The award was for the news team’s investigation of drug interdiction units operating along Tennessee's interstates. The story exposed police agencies using questionable tactics to confiscate money along the interstate from out-of-state drivers who were thought to possess drug money.
This marks Williams’ and the station’s third duPont Award in nine years.
“It hit me that very few people can say that they are a three-time duPont winner,” Williams, who joined WTVF in 1998, noted. “So I’ve got a real sense that this is special, and I don’t want to take it for granted.”
“The College of Mass Communication at MTSU is very proud of our alumnus Phil Williams and NewsChannel 5 in winning this highly prestigious national award,” commented Dr. Roy Moore, dean of the college. “Phil illustrates the high quality of our electronic media communication program and its graduates, and this award is the latest in the many accolades our alumni and faculty have received over the years. The duPont prize is, without doubt, one of the top awards in broadcast journalism. Congratulations to Phil and to NewsChannel 5.”
In addition to the duPont Awards, Williams has earned two George Foster Peabody Awards, the George Polk Award for TV Reporting, a National Headliner Award and three IRE Awards (including the IRE Medal) from the Investigative Reporters and Editors organization, which works to improve investigative and watchdog reporting around the world. He is in his fourth year serving on the IRE board. In his days as a print reporter, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Williams’ alma mater has taken note of his successful career. In 2003, he was inducted into the MTSU College of Mass Communication Wall of Fame. Williams, originally from Columbia, Tenn., returns to MTSU on occasion to speak to students and conduct master classes.
Nashville’s “NewsChannel5 Investigates” team includes Williams, Bryan Staples and Iain Montgomery, photojournalists, Kevin Wisniewski, producer, and Sandy Boonstra, news director.
In addition to WTVF-TV, other local stations receiving duPont Awards for reporting were Detroit Public TV, WFAA-TV in Dallas and WSB-TV in Atlanta. Several awards for international reporting went to Al Jazeera English, CBS News and NBC News; HBO received two awards; and The New York Times and MediaStorm received awards for digital reporting.
The DuPont Awards ceremony will be held Thursday, Jan. 19, at Columbia University’s Low Memorial Library. Scott Pelley, CBS News anchor and managing editor, and Michelle Norris from National Public Radio will serve as hosts.
“For me, the secret has been dedication, dedication, dedication.” Williams said when asked what he would say to aspiring journalists. “It can’t be just a job. It’s got to be your passion, something you live after your shift is over.”
—30—
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[208] MTSU Alumnus Lands Drummer Role for 'Queen Extravaganza' Tour

2011-12-20T13:53:00.002-06:00

For release: Dec. 20, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
School of Music contact: Lalo Davila, 615-898-2803 or Lalo.Davila@mtsu.edu

MTSU alumnus lands drummer role for ‘Queen Extravaganza’ tour

MURFREESBORO — Tyler Warren, an alumnus of the MTSU School of Music and College of Liberal Arts, has quite a gig for the next year or so.

Warren, who earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 2008 with an emphasis in music industry, will be the drummer for “Tfhe Queen Extravaganza Tour” across North America in 2012.

The tour, which celebrates the music of the classic arena-rock band that still thrills generations of fans, was announced Dec. 8 in Los Angeles.

Queen, a British rock band that formed in 1971 in London, has sold more than 300 million albums, recorded 18 No. 1 singles and played more than 700 live concerts worldwide.

“I grew up listening to Queen, memorizing songs, studying (drummer) Roger Taylor’s technique and just fully engulfing myself in all the aspects of their music,” said Warren, a native of Camden, Tenn. “Not many people get an opportunity to meet one of their childhood heroes and promptly get judged by them.”

Warren said he has a 15-month contract to play in The Queen Extravaganza.

Warren was selected as Queen Extravaganza drummer after an 11-week challenge in which judges reviewed online auditions, weighed votes from Queen fans worldwide and supervised a final in-studio audition in Los Angeles. Five others were selected for vocal, guitar and bass roles with the band.

“As the audition videos began posting, we could see right away that the caliber of talent was very high,” Taylor said in making the lineup announcement. “But when I got into the studio with the final 25 musicians, I realized that these guys are seriously good players. They went way beyond my expectations.
“It was an incredibly difficult decision to choose the final line-up. I wish I could’ve kept them all, but in the end, I’m very happy with this group of exceptional musicians.”

Taylor will be producer and musical director of the road show. His Queen bandmate Brian May will be involved later in production.

Warren credits his MTSU professor Lalo Davila, a veteran School of Music faculty member, and former faculty member Tommy Giampietro for helping him achieve success. Warren plays several instruments and says his “drumming technique is a little different from most drummers these days, especially those my age.”

Joining Warren on the tour will be vocalists Jennifer Espinoza of San Antonio, Texas, and Marc Martel of Montreal and Nashville; Tristan Avakian of Toronto and Brian Gresh of Tulsa, Okla., on guitar; and Fransois-Olivier Doyon of Quebec City, Canada, on bass.

For more information, visit www.queenextravaganza.com.

###

Note: To contact Tyler Warren for a personal interview, call 731-707-1337.

Captions for photos:

MTSU alumnus Tyler Warren keeps the beat during a recent performance.
(Photo submitted)

Head-and-shoulders photo: Tyler Wilson

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU is celebrating its 100th anniversary with special events and activities throughout the 2011-12 academic year.

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[207] Col. Jurgens to Address MTSU Fall Commissioning Ceremony Friday

2011-12-20T13:52:00.001-06:00

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
Military science contact: Lt. Col. T.K. Kast, 615-898-2470 or Tharrel.Kast@mtsu.edu

Col. Juergens to address MTSU fall commissioning ceremony Friday

MURFREESBORO — U.S. Army Forces Command, or FORSCOM, inspector general Col. Richard A. “Rich” Juergens will be the guest speaker for the annual fall ROTC commissioning ceremony for the MTSU military science department.

Juergens will speak during the Friday, Dec. 16, ceremony, which will start at 10 a.m. and be held in the Keathley University Center Theater. It is expected to be an even more rewarding visit and experience for Juergens, whose oldest daughter, Elizabeth, will be one of four cadets commissioned into the Army.

Also to be commissioned as second lieutenants will be Lisa Hubert, Kelsey Kirby and Taylor Wall. The ceremony is open to family and friends of the commissionees; MTSU faculty, students and staff; and the general public.

Col. Juergens and his wife, Diana, have been married for more than 25 years, and two of their eight daughters are cadets in the MTSU program. Senior Elizabeth Juergens, a criminal justice major, is a degree candidate for Saturday’s second commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. in Murphy Center. Junior Hannah Juergens is a nursing major. Their other daughters are Mary, Annie, Grace, Katie, Ellie and Olivia.

Before his selection to the FORSCOM post, Juergens served as deputy commander of Brigade Modernization Command. Before that, he was chief of combat plans for the Joint Air component of the Joint Special Operations Command and commanded Joint Task Force Bravo.

Juergens served as a joint officer with U.S. Central Command (Special Operations Command, director of crisis plans and special activities).

A 1985 distinguished military graduate from the University of Delaware, Juergens received a regular Army commission as a second lieutenant in Army Aviation. His assignments include maintenance officer, platoon leader, company executive officer and company commander of the 1/9th Attack Helicopter Battalion; small group instructor and operations officer with the 1st Battalion, 145th Regiment; platoon leader, company commander and battalion operations officer with the 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

Juergens’ combat tours include two deployments to Afghanistan serving as joint special operations aviation commander as well as a tour in Iraq as joint special operations aviation component commander.

He is a graduate of three Army courses, the Command and General Staff College, the Joint and Command Warfighting School and the Joint Advanced Warfighting School.

###
Media welcomed.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[206] First Candidates in New MTSU Master's Program to Graduate

2011-12-20T13:51:00.001-06:00

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

FIRST CANDIDATES IN NEW MTSU MASTER’S PROGRAM TO GRADUATE
Revised Degree Prepares Students for Careers in Recreation, Sport Industries

MURFREESBORO—The first six graduates of MTSU’s new Master of Science in Leisure and Sport Management degree program will be among those receiving diplomas Saturday, Dec. 17, at Murphy Center.

They are Kelsey Dortch of Milan, Tenn.; Anthony Dudley of Franklin, Tenn.; Ryan Harper of Brentwood, Tenn.; Jacob McKissack of Pulaski, Tenn.; Jazman Swett of Antioch, Tenn.; and Bartley Webb of Springdale, Ark.

After three years of revision, the Department of Health and Human Performance updated its master’s degrees to reflect changing trends in the industry. The leisure and sport management degree track offers two concentrations: recreation and leisure services, and sport industry.

Dr. Steven Estes, department chair, says the field has expanded beyond the era when leisure, sport and recreation were almost solely concerned with the outdoors or sports.

Estes says academics in recreation at one time focused on the philosophy that we grow and become fully human in our leisure moments, literally “recreating” ourselves. Similarly, he says, academics in physical education focused on training teachers and coaches for public schools.

Today, techniques similar to those used in business schools are being applied to these fields, and research is more important than ever. Two core courses for this new MTSU master’s-degree track focus on legal issues and risk management and financial management and marketing.

Elective courses include “Leisure and Aging,” “Sport and Society,” “Administration and Supervision of Physical Education and Sport,” “Aquatic Exercise & Therapeutic Techniques” and “Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Leisure and Tourism.”

“We’re starting to recognize that things like tourism or getting a professional sports team have a huge impact on the way that people spend their leisure dollars,” says Estes.

To learn more about the MTSU Master of Science in Leisure and Sport Management, visit www.mtsu.edu/healthhumanperf/graduate_hhp.shtml or contact Deborah Williams, graduate analyst, at 615-898-2147 or deborah.williams@mtsu.edu.

--30—

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[205] Curriculum Integration Grants Available To MTSU Faculty

2011-12-20T13:49:00.001-06:00

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

CURRICULUM INTEGRATION GRANTS AVAILABLE TO MTSU FACULTY
President’s Commission Funds Infusion of Women’s Issues into New, Existing Classes

MURFREESBORO—Tenured and tenure-track faculty at MTSU can apply until Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, for grants to help integrate of women’s experiences and perspectives into the curriculum.

The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women will award three grants of $1,800 each for use in summer 2012 to revise an existing course, revise a general-education course for a study-abroad program, create a new course, revamp a current minor or create a new minor.

Winners of 2011 PCSW grants included Dr. Tricia Farwell, an assistant professor of journalism, who proposed a new course, “Sex and Gender in Advertising.” Farwell said she “hopes to assist the students in making connections regarding the impact on women (and men) of idealized beauty, overly sexualized images and other gendered topics.”

Dr. John Maynor, an associate professor of political science, received a grant to redesign “Human Rights,” a course that is taught each spring semester. The course’s current topics include human rights in relation to torture, war, economic globalization, international organizations and cultural relativity.

“The revised course will, in part, focus on the ways women’s experiences of human rights violations are gendered,” Maynor said. “To that end, the revised course will examine the roles of custom and law in compromising women’s dignity and equality.”

Maynor’s revised course will include a two-part service-learning component: sex-trafficking issues with the cooperation of Free for Life International and women’s empowerment issues with the help of Humans in Crisis International.

The third 2011 grant winner, Dr. Amy Sayward of the Department of History, proposed a revision of “History of Sport in America” to include an examination of “the way in which sports help to construct and challenge identities—national, ethnic, racial, gender, sexual and community identities.

“I would like to explore the ways in which American sports history has both reinforced and challenged gender roles, as well as ideas of sexuality, over time,” Sayward noted.

The PCSW’s Academic Issues Subcommittee will judge the proposals. Courses developed or revised for the undergraduate curriculum and those that can be implemented within two years will receive priority consideration.

Complete application guidelines are available at www.mtsu.edu/pcsw/grants.shtml.

For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell, PCSW chair, at 615-494-8751 or samantha.cantrell@mtsu.edu.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! Visit MTSUNews.com for MTSU news anytime.

[204] MTSU Set to Host 1st Forensic Science Symposium

2011-12-20T13:48:00.001-06:00

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Forensic Institute for Research and Education, 615-494-7713

MTSU SET TO HOST 1ST FORENSIC SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM
Excellent Opportunity for Middle-, High-Schoolers to Exhibit Knowledge

MURFREESBORO—Youngsters in grades seven through 12 will be able to present their original projects in forensic science at the inaugural MTSU Forensic Science Symposium scheduled for May 12, 2012, in the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors College Building.

The science fair, which is open to students in Tennessee and beyond, will showcase original research performed in various fields of forensic science. It is organized in the form of a professional scientific meeting to introduce students to that experience.

Students should begin their research soon in order to submit applications and abstracts by the Jan. 15, 2012, deadline, organizers say. Students will be notified of their acceptance by Jan. 31.

The symposium sponsor is MTSU’s Forensic Institute for Research and Education, which provides educational and training opportunities for law enforcement, medical examiners, coroners, attorneys, social workers and other groups in forensic science and homeland security.

Students will present their symposium projects in both written and poster formats, and the judging will take place during the poster session of the symposium. Judges will include community leaders and professionals in science and forensic science.

First-, second- and third-place finishers will receive cash awards. The first-place winner’s sponsoring teacher also will receive a special prize and recognition during the awards ceremony. Abstracts of all accepted projects will be printed in the official “Forensic Science Symposium Proceedings Journal.”

Applications can be downloaded at www.mtsu.edu/fire/Forensic_Science_Symposium.shtml. For more information, contact the FIRE offices at 615-494-7713 or email symposium coordinator Tiffany Saul at fire@mtsu.edu.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[203] 1,780-plus Graduates Set to Participate in MTSU Fall 2011 Commencement

2011-12-20T13:47:00.001-06:00

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Office of News and Media Relations, 615-898-2919

1,780-plus graduates set to participate in MTSU fall 2011 commencement

MURFREESBORO—More than 1,780 students are expected to receive their degrees during MTSU’s fall 2011 commencement ceremonies, according to a report from Cathy Kirchner of the University’s Registrar’s Office.

MTSU will again feature dual ceremonies and dual speakers beginning at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, in Murphy Center. Of the 1,787 set to graduate during the event, 1,494 are undergraduates and 293 are graduate students, including 273 master’s candidates, 15 education-specialist recipients and two doctoral candidates. Three graduate students also will be receiving graduate certificates.

Candidates from the College of Graduate Studies, Jennings A. Jones College of Business and the College of Education and College of Mass Communication will receive their degrees in the morning ceremony. That afternoon, degrees will be conferred on candidates in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and the University College.

Tennessee State Sen. Dolores R. Gresham, R-Somerville, will serve as the guest speaker for the 9 a.m. ceremony. Gresham has represented the 26th District, which includes Chester, Crockett, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, McNairy and Wayne counties, since 2008. She also served as a state representative for the 94th District from 2002 to 2008.

Gresham, who is a farmer, small-business owner and a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of the Incarnate Word and master’s degrees at George Washington University and Loyola University.

She currently chairs the Senate Education Committee in the Tennessee State Senate and is a member of the Senate Transportation, Finance and Commerce Committees, as well as the Select Oversight Committees on Children and Youth, Corrections, and the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp., respectively. She also has served as vice chair of the Tennessee Homeland Security/Disaster Preparedness Task Force and as secretary of the Republican Caucus during her tenure in the state House of Representatives.

Gresham is a member of numerous organizations, including the Chambers of Commerce in Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Crockett, Wayne and Haywood counties as well as the Oakland Regional Chamber of Commerce, Tennessee Firearms Association, Tennessee Farm Bureau and Tennessee Right to Life. She is a former director of the Southwest Tennessee Community College Foundation Board and a member of the National Cattlewomen’s Association as well as a life member of the National Rifle Association and a a board member for the State Collaborative for Education Reform.

Emmy Award-winning journalist Karla L. Winfrey, an MTSU alumna, will speak to the graduates at the 2 p.m. ceremony. Winfrey, an independent multimedia professional, also is a partner with Black Box: A Winfrey-Giles Production, which creates documentaries, lifestyle programming, news features, talk-show segments and multimedia projects for television networks, nonprofits, faith-based communications companies, federal government agencies and private corporations.

She is a recipient of the MTSU Young Alumni Award and was among the first inductees placed on the College of Mass Communication’s Wall of Fame. The Nashville native spent her earlier career at some of the most revered television stations in the nation, including WABC in New York City, KDFW in Dallas, KUSA in Denver and WSMV in Nashville. She has garnered national recognition as a consumer investigative reporter, show host/news anchor and documentary/specials producer. Her work has also been featured on CNN, ABC News, BET, NBC, Shop At Home Television and The Black Family Channel.

Winfrey has received an array of media and community-service awards in addition to her Emmy, including the National Press Club Award for Consumer Journalism, National Association of Black Journalists Award and the American Red Cross Award for saving a co-worker's life. Winfrey also has been honored numerous times for her extensive work in promoting cancer awareness. As a longtime supporter of music and the arts, Winfrey is the managing executive producer for the Powerhouse Artist Breakout Series in partnership with the Berklee College of Music in Boston and is one of the co-authors of the children’s book “The ABC's of Etiquette with Ariel, Raquel and Friends.”

Graduation committee members emphasized that students who participate in commencement will be required to stay for their entire scheduled ceremony. The ceremonies should last about two hours each, so graduation candidates planning celebration activities should be aware of this time commitment.

For more information about commencement, please visit the Records Office website at www.mtsu.edu/records/grad.shtml. Questions about graduation may be directed to the Records Office at 615-898-2600.

MTSU FALL 2011 COMMENCEMENT AT A GLANCE

Who: Approximately 1,787 graduates* (1,494 undergraduates, 293 graduate students)
What: 2011 MTSU Fall Commencement
When: 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17
Where: Murphy Center on the MTSU campus.
Commencement speakers:
• State Sen. Dolores R. Gresham, R-Somerville, 9 a.m. ceremony.
• Karla L. Winfrey, Emmy Award-winning journalist and MTSU alumna, 2 p.m. ceremony.

*— Approximate numbers as of Dec. 6, 2011.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[202] MTSU Mock Trial Team Tops Field of 14 Teams

2011-12-20T13:46:00.000-06:00

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU mock trial contact: Dr. John Vile, 615-898-2596 or John.Vile@mtsu.edu

MTSU mock trial team tops field of 14 teams

MURFREESBORO — An MTSU mock trial team placed first among 14 teams from five states participating in a year-end scrimmage at Rhodes College in Memphis Dec. 3-4.

A team captained by Zach Barker of Woodbury, Tenn., and Heather Haggard of Greenbrier, Tenn., captured eight of eight ballots in four rounds of competition. They defeated teams from Rhodes College, Millsaps College, Washington University and Mississippi College to post the only undefeated record at the tournament.

In addition to Barker and Haggard, Constance Grieves of Nashville also played the role of an attorney on the team. Team members who played witness parts were Thomas Polombo of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Curtis Campbell of Murfreesboro; Alexa Sengupta of Ashland City, Tenn., and Jessica Seitz of McMinnville, Tenn.

MTSU students won several individual awards. Grieves received the second-place award for best attorney closing arguments and Polombo received the top award for best fact witness. The team also was runner-up for the Southern Hospitality Award, which was voted on by other teams.

Rachael Harmon of Atlanta, who was on a second MTSU team, received the “People’s Choice” Attorney Award. Other tournament participants voted on the award. Harmon and most of her team members recently came in first in MTSU’s own invitational tournament.

Brooke Borchering of Watertown, Tenn., also a member of the second team, was runner-up for the Best Fact Witness Award.

MTSU teams are coached by Dr. John R. Vile, dean of the University Honors College, and by local attorneys Shiva Bozarth and Brandi Snow.
Vile said this tournament experience “will give MTSU considerable momentum as it goes into the spring semester.”

MTSU teams will be attending two invitational tournaments in January followed by regional and national tournaments in following months.

###

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[201] MTSU's 'Peace Felt' Sends Global Message of Love

2011-12-20T13:44:00.004-06:00

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU’S ‘PEACE FELT’ SENDS GLOBAL MESSAGE OF LOVE
Human Sciences Students Send, Receive Tactile Goodwill through Textile Craftwork

MURFREESBORO—The seasonal spirit of “Peace on Earth” is reflected in the Peace Felt project by students in the MTSU Textiles, Merchandising and Design Program.

This annual combination of classwork and craftwork links the students of Nancy Oxford, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Sciences, with two partner groups. One receives brightly colored felt creations from MTSU; the other gives MTSU its felt creations.

“Each student felted individual pieces that were combined to form a wall hanging symbolizing peace in other countries,” Oxford says of her students’ work. “Each student chose a letter of the words ‘Peace Be with You.’”

Oxford’s students sent their project to Foothills Fiber, a fiber-guild group in Nevada City, Calif. In exchange, the students received a Peace Felt project from Craftland, a shop in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, specializing in needlecrafts, quilting, embroidery, dressmaking, knitting and crochet.

The Craftland participants hail from the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Pakistan, India, Canada, South Africa and Russia.

Peace Felt is an organization that creates connections around the world by promoting love and peace through textile art. It also promotes awareness of the ancient art of felt-making for its qualities of earth-friendliness, versatility and ease of learning.

“The students were very excited to be involved in this worthy project to spread their thoughts on peace in a creative endeavor worldwide,” says Oxford.

For more information, contact Oxford at 615-898-5689 or noxford@mtsu.edu.

--30—

PHOTO CAPTION: Students in the Textiles, Merchandising and Design Program at MTSU display segments of the Peace Felt project they created and sent to Foothills Fiber in Nevada City, Calif. Each student chose a letter of the phrase “Peace Be With You.” Top Row, L to R, followed by hometowns: Calvin Rose (Murfreesboro), Elizabeth Beasley (Camden), Alycia Gillaspie (Murfreesboro), Mikel Nguyen (Hendersonville), Daylin Taylor (Petersburg); Middle Row: (partially obscured) Drew Hulse (Lebanon), Jillian McDonald (Milan); Back Row: Taylore Massa (Smyrna), Professor Nancy Oxford, Leslie Stephens (Nashville), Erica Gaudin (Mt. Juliet), Courtney Williams (Lebanon), Rakia Johnson (Whites Creek).

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[200] Middle Tennessee Education Center Reaches Out to Region

2011-12-20T13:44:00.002-06:00

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MIDDLE TENNESSEE EDUCATION CENTER REACHES OUT TO REGION
New Director Moore Looks Forward to Spring Semester and Beyond

MURFREESBORO—Readers in southern middle Tennessee will learn about “higher education in your own backyard” this week through a full-color eight-page insert about the Middle Tennessee Education Center in their local newspapers.

The “MTEC Messenger,” a new publication about the Shelbyville-based center, will be distributed inside the Shelbyville Times-Gazette, Tullahoma News, Columbia Daily Herald, Moore County News, Elk Valley Times and Winchester Herald Chronicle.

Middle Tennessee Education Center is a partnership involving Middle Tennessee State University and Motlow State Community College with the support of Bedford County government in Shelbyville. It brings undergraduate and graduate education closer to local residents by providing day and night classes as well as distance-learning opportunities.

The new director at MTEC, Lisa D. Moore, says her mission is to expand the center by recruiting more adult learners and developing a presence in area high schools.

“We’re working with the school systems to understand what the high-school students need, either to prepare them for graduation or dual-enrollment opportunities,” says Moore.

Two new MTEC offerings for the spring semester, which will begin Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012, are General Psychology and Fundamentals of Speech. Both are Motlow general-education courses.

Moore, who assumed leadership of the center in August 2011, has been an instructor in MTSU’s Department of Speech and Theatre for the past 14 years. Her resume also includes stints in human resources with Monsanto Company in Greenwood, S.C., and Quantum Corporation in Colorado Springs, Col.

Moore says she intends to use this experience to help MTEC fill the need for a more highly qualified regional workforce.

“Because of my background in both human resources and teaching, students can talk to me about whether their choice of major and choice of career match,” Moore says. “I also can help (students) understand how to go about a job search and what prospective employers need.

“There is a need to have a major educational presence (in the region),” Moore adds, “because that is one of the attractions for new businesses to come in.”

Registration for the spring 2012 semester is now open. For more information, visit www.mteducationcenter.com or call 931-685-4444.

--30—

Note: Photo of Lisa D. Moore is attached.
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[199] MTSU's Confucius Institute Offers Chinese Language Courses

2011-12-20T13:42:00.002-06:00

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU’S CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE OFFERS CHINESE LANGUAGE COURSES
‘After School’ Introduces Children to Chinese Language through Songs, Games

MURFREESBORO—Middle Tennessee State University will offer “After School at the Confucius Institute” on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012, in Room 106 of Peck Hall.

Classes will be held from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m.

“After School” is a language and cultural enrichment program designed for children ages six to 12. It introduces the Chinese language and the colorful culture of China. The teacher is a native speaker of Chinese with a master’s degree in language teaching and many years of experience teaching language to young children.

The classes will focus on basic conversation, entry-level vocabulary and writing Chinese characters. Students will become familiar with the language and develop communication skills through traditional and nontraditional teaching and activities such as songs, crafts and games.

In addition to “After School,” 12 sessions each of Children’s Chinese I and II and 12 sessions each of Adult Beginning Chinese I and II are slated for 9-11 a.m. on Saturdays starting Jan 21, 2012.

Tuition for Children’s Chinese I and II and Adult Beginning Chinese I and II is $150. Tuition for “After School,” including materials, is $275.

For more information, go to www.mtsu.edu/cimtsu, email cimtsu@mtsu.edu or call the Confucius Institute at 615-494-8696.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[197] THEC's Rhoda to Address MTSU MTeach Meeting Tuesday

2011-12-20T13:41:00.001-06:00

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
MTeach contact: Leigh Gostowski, 615-898-5786 or Leigh.Gostowski@mtsu.edu

THEC’s Rhoda to address MTSU MTeach meeting Tuesday

MURFREESBORO — Tennessee Higher Education Commission Executive Director Rich Rhoda will address THEC’s initiatives in math and science during an annual MTeach stakeholders’ meeting Tuesday, Dec. 6, at MTSU.

The meeting, which will run from 9 until 11 a.m., will be held in the James Union Building’s Hazlewood Dining Room. Rhoda’s session will start at approximately 10:15.

MTeach program coordinator/instructor Leigh Gostowski said she anticipates Rhoda will discuss initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, “and how MTeach figures into those goals and the wider agenda,” she said.

Gostowski will share the state of the three-year-old MTeach program at 9:15.

Eboni Eaton, Corey Horton and Caitlin Rainey will share student experiences at 9:30. Sally Millsap, Mark LaPorte and Robin Bollman will discuss their master teacher experiences at 9:45.

Dr. Rick Vanosdoll, professor in the College of Education’s Womack Family Educational Leadership department and former director of the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, will deliver closing remarks at 10:45.

Stakeholders include MTeach staff; deans Tom Cheatham (College of Basic and Applied Sciences) and Lana Seivers (College of Education); participating faculty from both colleges; and other STEM education faculty.

Also expected to attend are MTSU Provost Brad Bartel and Dr. Phillip Waldrop, associate dean in the College of Education

Representatives from Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City schools are invited as are principals from other partner school districts.

###

Media welcomed.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU is celebrating its 100th anniversary with special events and activities throughout the 2011-12 academic year.
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[197] MTSU Class Project Helps Save Lives as well as Educate Students

2011-12-20T13:35:00.004-06:00

MTSU class project helps save lives as well as educate students

FOR RELEASE: Dec. 2, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Catherine Crooks, ccrooks@mtsu.edu, or Gina E. Fann, gfann@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—They had everything they needed to catch students’ attention on World AIDS Day: sweets, balloons, fliers, great music and plenty of freebies.

Students in Dr. Catherine Crooks’s psychology class at MTSU had a few secret weapons, too, like a full-court-press marketing plan, a partnership with Nashville CARES and free HIV testing with a 20-minute turnaround on Dec. 1.

Working from a party-themed table in the Keathley University Center’s highest-traffic corridor, the students in PSY 4600, Psychosexual Adjustment, enthusiastically offered passers-by information about HIV prevention and escorted fellow students to a suite for testing by Nashville CARES staffers.

Before the five-hour project was over, nearly 300 students had their test results—and counseling suggestions and information— in hand.

“This is the only class that does a testing event as a project,” said a pleased Misty Ellis, youth education coordinator for the Nashville-based HIV/AIDS education and service organization. “This is one of the biggest events of our year. Last year we saw more than 250 students in the single day here at MTSU, so it’s always a huge opportunity for us.”

“I think everybody expects us to be here now,” added Derrin Mitchell, a psychology graduate student who served as one of the class’s project managers. “Dr. Crooks’s classes have been doing this service for about three years, and it’s become the norm. I’ve been surprised how many more people this year have said, ‘Oh, sure, why not? This will save me some time.’ That was our goal.”

The class isn’t formally a part of MTSU’s Experiential Learning initiative, which gives students special credit and recognition for classes offering hands-on learning through practical application and public service. Crooks said, however, that her courses always have an EXL component, and she’s considering adding this one to the program.

“I’ve seen firsthand how successful service learning can be, so I try to incorporate it into every class,” she explained. “The students get a lot more out of the class with a real-life learning opportunity. They work with an organization, they help others and do meaningful work, and they gain applied experience they can always use.”

The students have spent the last few weeks working up publicity plans, wrangling logistics and staffing, learning about HIV, signing confidentiality agreements to ensure testing privacy and setting up social-media outlets and a website (http://freehivtest.weebly.com). On the last day of class, each group will submit project summaries and make a presentation on their accomplishments.

They’ll probably include thanks to MT Lambda, the student organization supporting gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and transsexual people, whose members passed out cupcakes and red ribbons and helpfully directed people to the HIV testing table, and Advocates for Youth, whose candy, cupcakes and condoms helped raise awareness for its “Great American Condom Campaign,” too.

“One guy opened his backpack up and said, ‘Dump ’em in!’” senior psychology major Jana Johnson said with a laugh while searching for refills for the class-project table’s free-condom display. “They’ve gone as fast as the candy and … wait a minute, we’ve run out of condoms! Well, that’s a good thing.”

“That’s the goal,” Nashville CARES’ Ellis echoed. “Our outreach is about prevention and reducing transmission of HIV, and these students helped give us a chance to do it.”

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[196] MTSU Flute Choir's New CD is Perfect for Holiday Season

2011-12-20T13:35:00.002-06:00

MTSU Flute Choir’s new CD is perfect for holiday season

FOR RELEASE: Dec. 2, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—If you’re scrambling for the perfect holiday gift, stop right here. The MTSU Flute Choir’s first CD, “The Silver Sounds of Christmas,” will be available for purchase beginning Thursday, Dec. 15.

“The group embarked on this project with an Instructional Development grant through MTSU to create the CD,” said Dr. Deanna Little, MTSU flute professor and director of the group. “Our project has been a huge collaboration with the Lebanon First United Methodist Church singers and bell ringers.”

“African Noel,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Breath of Heaven” and “Night of Silence” feature Lebanon FUMC’s full choir with the MTSU Flute Choir.

Several FUMC choir members also are spotlighted as soloists and in small groups with the flutes. Additional performances with vocals include “Away in a Manger,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Labor of Love,” “Mary Did You Know?” and “There’s A Song in the Air.”

“The Lebanon FUMC Handbell choir also collaborated with the flutes in a wonderful arrangement of ‘Carol of the Bells,’” Little added.

The MTSU Flute Choir recorded several instrumental pieces as ensembles, small groups, solos and duets, including “A Christmas Overture,” “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” “Once in Royal David’s City,” “Let it Snow,” “Rudolph,” “Fantasy on Two Christmas Carols,” “Dance of the Reed Flutes,” “Greensleeves,” “Ginger Snap!” and “O Holy Night.”

The newest member of the flute family, the contrabass flute, is introduced on the CD as well.

“The ensemble utilized all sizes of the flute family in this project: piccolo, C flutes, alto flutes, bass flutes and the largest of them all, the contrabass flute,” Little explained.

Five of the recordings were arranged and/or adapted for the specific ensemble by MTSU flute students Melissa Keeling, Kallie Rogers, Lauren Jolley and Jessy Fine. “Other students contributed to the creative process by transposing and transcribing their own parts,” Little said.

“The Silver Sounds of Christmas” will be available for download or purchase at CDBABY.Com on Dec. 15. Buyers also may contact Little at 615-898-2473 or deanna.little@mtsu.edu. Proceeds will offset the CD production costs and help to fund the MTSU Flute Festival in January.

“We are very excited to see the completion of our project,” the professor added. “The flute students have worked very hard and put an enormous amount of energy, creativity and dedication into this project. I am very proud of all the flute choir members.”

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[195] MTSU conducts College Goal Sunday on Dec. 4

2011-12-01T12:36:00.001-06:00

For release: Dec. 1, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU Scholarship Office contact: Bonnie McCarty, 615-904-8414 or Bonnie.Mccarty@mtsu.edu

MTSU conducts College Goal Sunday on Dec. 4

MURFREESBORO — As part of the annual College Goal Sunday, MTSU financial-aid officials have agreed to run a pilot program to see if they can help families prepare the FAFSA on their own in early January.

College Goal Sunday at MTSU will be Sunday, Dec. 4, from 2 until 4:30 p.m. in the south lobby of the Business and Aerospace Building.

All of the other 30-plus College Goal Sunday sites in Tennessee — including Nashville, Lebanon, Lynchburg, Clarksville, Cookeville, Columbia, McMinnville and Gallatin in middle Tennessee — will held in January or February.

FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the online method where families can submit their financial information to Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, in order to see how much aid prospective students might need beyond high school.

“MTSU’s College Goal Sunday FAFSA Prep Workshop will assist prospective college students in preparing to apply for financial aid in early January, in order to qualify for federal grants and loans, state grants and the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship,” said Bonnie McCarty, assistant director of scholarships in the Scholarships Office.

McCarty said many types of need-based aid, including a state grant of $1,000 to $4,000 per year, have very limited funding. Therefore, students are encouraged to file a FAFSA in early to mid-January. Funds for 2011-12 ran out in early February 2011, she said.

“MTSU’s FAFSA Prep Workshop will allow students to receive free assistance in preparing to file the FAFSA independently on Jan. 1, 2012, when the 2012-13 FAFSA first becomes available,” McCarty said.

The workshop is a 2½-hour series of sessions and not a drop-in event, she added.

For more information, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/financialaid/cgs.shtml, call McCarty at 615-898-8414 or email BonnieMccarty@mtsu.edu. For other CGS locations, visit http://tn.gov/CollegeGoalSunday/locations.html.

###

Media welcomed.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU is celebrating its 100th anniversary with special events and activities throughout the 2011-12 academic year.
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[194] MTSU Accounting CPE Day is Dec. 8

2011-12-01T12:33:00.002-06:00

Today’s date: Dec. 1, 2011

News and Media Relations contacts: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
or Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919 or Thomas.Tozer@mtsu.edu
MTSU Department of Accounting contact: 615-898-5306

MTSU Accounting Continuing Professional Education Day is Dec. 8

MURFREESBORO — The 3rd annual Department of Accounting Continuing Professional Education Day at MTSU will be held Thursday, Dec. 8, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., in the Business and Aerospace Building’s State Farm Lecture Hall.

Seminars during the conference include presentations on accounting and financial reporting, auditing, taxation and ethics presented by Department of Accounting faculty. Participants can earn up to eight hours of CPE credit. The cost is $150, which includes all seminars, materials, and lunch.

The sessions include:

• “Financial Accounting Standards Board Update,” Dr. Paula Thomas, MTSU accounting professor;

• “Tennessee Ethics,” Mark Crocker, executive director of the Tennessee Board of Accountancy in Nashville;

• “How ‘Legal Thinking’ Can Aid the Auditor,” Dr. Sandy Benson, assistant professor of business law;

• “Tax Update and Tax Planning,” Dr. Tim Koski, accounting professor;

• “General Ethics,” Stan Clark, accounting associate professor;

• “Government Accounting Standards Board Update,” Dr. G. Robert “Smitty” Smith Jr., interim chair of the Department of Accounting;

• “International Financial Reporting Standards,” Dr. Jeannie Harrington, associate professor of accounting;
• “Audit Update,” Bill Mooningham, retired partner from Ernst & Young, MTSU alumnus and accounting instructor;

• “Leveraging Technology in the Modern Accounting Firm,” Eric Clements, Randall Matlock & Associates P.C. in Murfreesboro; and

• “Detecting Deception,” Daniel Porter, investigative auditor, Tennessee Department of State Audit in Nashville.

To register or get more information, visit the Department of Accounting web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/accounting or call 615-898-5306.

Also, the 21st annual Department of Accounting Alumni CPE Day at MTSU will held on Thursday, April 26, 2012.

###

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[193] Dec. 2 MTSU Star Party Features Higgins' 'Juno to Jupiter'

2011-11-29T13:55:00.002-06:00

For release: Nov. 29, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu

Physics & Astronomy contacts:
Dr. Eric Klumpe, 615-898-2483 or Eric.Klumpe@mtsu.edu
Dr. Charles Higgins, 615-898-5946 or ChuckHiggins@mtsu.edu

Dec. 2 MTSU Star Party features Higgins’ ‘Juno to Jupiter’

MURFREESBORO — Dr. Charles “Chuck” Higgins will discuss “Juno to Jupiter” during the final MTSU First Friday Star Party of the fall semester on Friday, Dec. 2.

The star party will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Wiser-Patten Science Hall Room 102. After the 30- to 45-minute lecture by Higgins and weather permitting, there will be an outdoor telescope observing for participants.

The Juno spacecraft is a NASA New Frontiers mission to the planet Jupiter. Launched Aug. 5 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Juno is on a five-year journey and expected to arrive around July 4, 2016.

It will travel about 1,740 million miles. Instruments aboard Juno will take thermal radiation measurements from within Jupiter’s atmosphere and collect other data. The mission, expected to end in October 2017, will include the spacecraft completing 33 orbits before being de-orbited and crashing into the planet.

Higgins is an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He earned his bachelor’s in 1988 from the University of Alabama at Huntsville and his master’s (’93) and doctorate (’96) degrees from the University of Florida. He has been at MTSU since 2001 and serves as MTSU Astronomy Club adviser.

Higgins has authored and coauthored numerous professional publications and he has participated in many presentations. Along with MTSU Space Grant coordinator Mark Abolins, Higgins’ most recent research grant study has been “Analysis of Jupiter’s Radio Emission” using the Voyager, Galileo and Cassini spacecrafts as part of the Tennessee Space Grant Consortium from 2006 to present.

First Friday Star Parties are open to the general public and MTSU students, faculty and staff. Children are welcome. Free parking is available behind Wiser-Patten beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Star Party Fridays only.

For more information, call Drs. Eric Klumpe at 615-898-2483 or Higgins at 615-898-5946. For general information and a downloadable PDF of the fall 2011 schedule, visit http://bit.ly/MTStarParties11 or call 615-898-2130.

###

Media welcomed.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[192] TBR Honors McPhee with 'Catalyst Award' for Online-Education Efforts

2011-11-29T13:53:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 29, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Andrew Oppmann, 615-898-7800 or Andrew.Oppmann@mtsu.edu

TBR honors McPhee with ‘Catalyst Award’ for online-education efforts

MURFREESBORO— MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee is one of five recipients of the “Catalyst Award,” an honor from the Regents Online Campus Collaborative for efforts to make postsecondary education accessible online for all Tennesseans.

In the span of a single year, McPhee and his fellow honorees set into motion major decisions on:
• a degree framework;
• course-development plan and articulation;
• a revenue-sharing model;
• a new Learning Management System;
• substantive change notification for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;
• credit transferability between institutions;
• financial-aid eligibility;
• a common calendar;
• critical student-support services;
• faculty development; and
• a marketing plan.

As a result, the Regents Online Degree Program successfully launched in September 2001 and has grown from 1,048 students to more than 14,500 students in 2011. The program celebrated its 10-year anniversary at the Tennessee Board of Regents headquarters in Nashville Oct. 28.

McPhee’s fellow Catalyst Award winners included R. Jack Fishman, a former TBR member; Dr. Dan Lattimore, vice provost of the University of Memphis; Dr. Ellen Weed, retired vice president of Nashville State Community College; and Dr. Robbie Melton, associate vice chancellor for the TBR.

A video documenting the Catalyst Award winners' roles in the startup and launch of the Regents Online Degree Program can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPe8z7-4U9A.

The Regents Online Campus Collaborative is an award-winning program that brings together postsecondary educational resources from the six state universities, 13 community colleges and 27 technology centers across the state of Tennessee. Through Regents Online, students can earn associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees or diplomas and certificates from institutions in the collaborative.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[191] Recording-Technology Expert Plans Dec. 6 'Musicology' Lecture at MTSU

2011-11-29T13:45:00.003-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 28, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Dale Cockrell, 615-898-2449 or dale.cockrell@mtsu.edu

Recording-technology expert plans Dec. 6 ‘musicology’ lecture at MTSU

MURFREESBORO—Dr. Simon Zagorski-Thomas, an expert on the art and implications of recording technology, will visit MTSU on Tuesday, Dec. 6, for a special lecture, “Playing to an Empty Room: Performance, Recording and Musicology.”

The free public event is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. in MTSU’s Center for Popular Music, located in Room 140 of the Bragg Mass Communication Building on campus. It’s sponsored by the CPM in co-sponsorship with the University’s Department of Recording Industry and the School of Music.

Zagorski-Thomas is a senior lecturer in music technology at the London College of Music at the University of West London. He also chairs of the Association for the Study of the Art of Record Production and is the director of the Art of Record Production Conference.

Dr. Dale Cockrell, director of the CPM, noted that musicology has traditionally addressed “the score” as its primary text, but that approach tends to marginalize many musical forms and ignore performance and interpretation, as well as the fact that recorded music is now a primary form of listening and engagement.

Zagorski-Thomas’s lecture will study how the recording process has affected and is in turn affected by performance, Cockrell said. The guest will address how artists have learned to perform without an audience and the changes in the collaborative process of editing and producing, even asking who “owns” such a performance.

For more information about this special lecture, contact Cockrell at 615-898-2449 or dale.cockrell@mtsu.edu or visit http://popmusic.mtsu.edu.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[190] Dust Off Your Dancing Shoes for Dance Theatre Fall Concert Dec. 1-3

2011-11-29T13:45:00.002-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 28, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Drew Kerr or Justin Durham, 615-898-2181

Dust off your dancing shoes for Dance Theatre Fall Concert Dec. 1-3

MURFREESBORO—Members of MTSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance are dusting off their dancing shoes to wow audiences with the Dance Theatre Fall Concert, set Dec. 1-3 in the Tucker Theatre.

Performances are set at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

This nationally recognized program, which focuses on research and creative activity by faculty and students, is bringing the fall 2011 season to a close with the Fall Concert. Performances will feature a variety of genres ranging from modern to contemporary ballet and everything in between, organizers say.

MTSU faculty, guest artists and students have all contributed to the event, and two pieces choreographed by Kim Neal Nofsinger, director of dance at MTSU, will be featured. Nofsinger’s works explore the beauty and natural instincts of migrations among animals in addition to darkening discussions relating to the holocausts and genocides.

General-admission tickets for the Dance Theatre Fall Concert are $10 for adults and $5 for children up to 12th grade, as well as $5 for MTSU staff. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid student ID.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.mtsu.edu/tuckertheatre via the “Purchase Tickets” button on the left toolbar. They also will be available at the door before each performance.

For more information, please visit www.mtsu.edu/dance.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[189] Operation Christmas Care Wounded Warrior Card Project is Under Way

2011-11-23T14:18:00.001-06:00

For release: Nov. 23, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
Operation Christmas Care contact: Lee Ann Newton, 615-804-5393 (cell) or Lee.Newton@mtsu.edu

Operation Christmas Care wounded warrior card project is under way

MURFREESBORO — Operation Christmas Care — Christmas Cards for Wounded Warriors — is under way.

Operation Christmas Care has sent more than 46,000 Christmas cards since December 2006, said coordinator Lee Ann Newton, an MTSU employee who began the program six years ago.

“Unfortunately, the war continues and the need is as great as it ever has been,” Newton said. “For every casualty, there are approximately nine wounded and 40 percent of these soldiers never return to active duty due to the severity of their wounds.”

Because hospitals remain full of wounded warriors and they arrive on a daily basis, Newton asks that people “add a card or two to your list this year as the need for the ongoing support is critical to their recovery.”

“Often times, our soldiers’ individual support systems dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” Newton added. “Yet, their painful daily regimen toward recovery continues. Emails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms as they are ready to go home.”

Operation Christmas Care remains a homegrown project funded through “Pennies for Postage,” Newton said. Mailings are set for Saturday, Dec. 3, and Sunday, Dec. 11.

If unable to locate a drop box and/or a Pennies for Postage jar, contact Newton at unclesamsheroes@gmail.com, Lee.Netwon@mtsu.edu or call 615-804-5393 for more information or to place a drop box or postage jar at your work, church, school or other location, she said.

Newton, an executive aide in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, also can provide a list of items “always appreciated and needed” by wounded warriors for those who want to send more than a card.

###

Note: Attached are a jpegs for Operation Christmas Care and Lee Ann Newton.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[188] Hallelujah! Handel's 'Messiah' Marks 27th Year at MTSU School of Music

2011-11-23T14:15:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 23, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@mtsu.edu

Hallelujah! Handel’s ‘Messiah’ marks 27th year at MTSU School of Music

MURFREESBORO—The MTSU Concert Chorale and Middle Tennessee Chorale Society will partner once again to create the memorable music of Handel's “Messiah” for the community Dec. 4 and 5.

Concerts are scheduled at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, and at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, in Hinton Music Hall inside MTSU’s Wright Music Building. The event is part of the University’s Centennial Celebration.

In addition to “Messiah,” the concert will feature the MTSU Women's Chorale performing a portion of Benjamin Britten's “Ceremony of Carols.”

"This is my 27th year of conducting the ‘Messiah’ for MTSU and the Rutherford County area," says Dr. Raphael Bundage, director of choral studies at MTSU and conductor for the Middle Tennessee Choral Society. "I want to particularly thank the MTSU Choral Society for their annual support of this event over the last 27 years."

Bundage adds that the choral groups, which number about 150 members, will perform “the Christmas portion of the ‘Messiah,’” which makes the work last about an hour.

Advanced vocal majors from MTSU will serve as soloists, the director says, noting that there are approximately 20 soloists over the two nights of performances.

The “Messiah” chamber orchestra comprises professional musicians from the Nashville area and MTSU faculty members Angela Tipps on organ and Pat Ward on harpsichord.

Tickets for each of the Dec. 4 and 5 performances are $10 for general admission and $5 for non-MTSU students. MTSU faculty, staff and students will be admitted free with valid IDs, and senior citizens can receive discounted prices. Tickets will be available at the door one hour before each performance.

For more MTSU School of Music concert information, call 615-898-2493 or visit www.mtsumusic.com and click on the "Concert Calendar" link.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[187] Nov. 29 Reception Celebrates New MTSU Centennial Book

2011-11-23T14:14:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 23, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACTS: Dr. Jan Leone, 615-898-5580 or Connie Huddleston, 615-494-7628

Nov. 29 reception celebrates new MTSU Centennial book

MURFREESBORO—MTSU history professor Janice M. Leone and the colleagues whose work she edited in “Middle Tennessee State University: A Centennial Legacy” will join the University in celebrating the book’s release at a special reception on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

The free public event, which will be held in Cantrell Hall in the Tom Jackson Building on campus, is scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m.

Free parking will be available in the Woodfin Lot at the corner of Greenland Drive and Middle Tennessee Boulevard.

In 2008, University Honors College Dean John Vile encouraged the college to participate in MTSU’s upcoming Centennial Celebration.

Leone, who is associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, worked with Honors Associate Dean Scott Carnicom to develop the fall 2009 Honors Lecture Series, “Blue Raider Milestones: Approaching the Centennial.”

Those nine lectures became original essays and, paired with three new essays, became the 12 chapters of “A Centennial Legacy.”

Current and retired MTSU history faculty are the essayists included in the book’s 302 pages, along with emeritus professor of economics Dr. Reuben Kyle; John Lodl, Rutherford County Archives director; history graduate student Jordan Kirkman; and former Honors Dean Phil Mathis.

Learn more about the book in the current “Honors Edition” magazine, which is available online at http://bit.ly/MTHonorsEditionFall11 (page 41).

To order the book, call Phillips Bookstore at 615-898-5679. Copies also will be available at the Nov. 29 reception. For more information, call 615-494-7628.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[186] MTSU Closes Nov. 24-25 for Thanksgiving Holiday

2011-11-22T10:21:00.002-06:00

For release: Nov. 22, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu

MTSU closes Nov. 24-25 for Thanksgiving holiday

MURFREESBORO — MTSU will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 24-25, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, University officials said. No classes will be held and all offices will be closed as students, faculty, staff and administrators celebrate the holiday with families and friends. Also, no Saturday, Nov. 26, classes will be held.

All fall semester classes will resume at their regularly scheduled times and all offices will be open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28.

Thanksgiving dinner for students will be served in the Scarlett Commons Clubhouse Thursday from 2 until 5 p.m. The MTSU Parents Association, MT Dining and Housing and Residential Life are sponsoring the meal.

For students and others staying on campus, McCallie Dining Hall will be open Friday (11:30 a.m.-6 p.m.), Saturday (9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.) and Sunday (11:30 a.m.-7 p.m.). All other food venues will be closed until Sunday when Cyber Café and Starbucks in the James E. Walker Library both reopen at 3 p.m.

The library will be open Sunday, Nov. 27, at its normal hours, 1 p.m. to midnight.

Campus Recreation Center’s facilities will reopen at 6 a.m. Monday.

In case of campus emergencies, call MTSU Police at 615-898-2424.
###

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU is celebrating its 100th anniversary with special events and activities throughout the 2011-12 academic year.

-------
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[185] Motion Picture Director to Screen, Discuss Film At MTSU

2011-11-22T10:19:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 22, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR TO SCREEN, DISCUSS FILM AT MTSU
Director Miraz Bezar Depicts Agony of Turkish Kurds in “Before Your Eyes”

MURFREESBORO—Miraz Bezar, director of the internationally acclaimed motion picture “Min Dît: Before Your Eyes,” will screen his film at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building.

A question-and-answer session will follow the movie, and a reception is slated for after the question-and-answer period.

The 2009 movie traces the story of two young Kurdish children living in Diyarbakir, a town in the Kurdish region of Turkey. After witnessing the brutal death of their parents, the children are left to fend for themselves.

“Min Dît: Before Your Eyes” won the Youth Jury Prize at the 57th San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain, one of the world’s oldest film festivals. It also won three awards at the Istanbul International Film Festival in Turkey, including one for Best Director for Bezar, and the Special Jury Prizes at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in Turkey and the Ghent International Film Festival in Belgium.

A native of Ankara, Turkey, Bezar left his homeland for Germany in 1980 after a military coup. He studied cultural science at Berlin Humboldt University and started acting in theater groups. Bezar studied directing at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin, and his short films have been screened at festivals throughout the world.

This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by MTSU’s Middle East Center with support from the Distinguished Lecture Fund and the Virginia Peck Trust.

For more information, contact Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of the Middle East Center, at 615-494-8809 or allen.hibbard@mtsu.edu.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[184] Authentic Native American Celebration At MTSU Tuesday

2011-11-22T10:18:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 21, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

AUTHENTIC NATIVE AMERICAN CELEBRATION AT MTSU TUESDAY Native Americans Share Food, Culture, Perspectives during Thanksgiving Week

MURFREESBORO—MTSU’s Intercultural and Diversity Affairs Center will co-sponsor “Native American Cultural Day” from 4:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22, in Cantrell Hall in MTSU’s Tom H. Jackson Building.

Traditional Native American dancing, music and food will be parts of the multitribal experience. In addition, there will be a panel discussion of Native American perspectives on various issues, including education, environment and spirituality, ethics of governance, corporate ethics and business policy, intertribal descendants and challenges facing Native American college students.

The program will include Lakota poet Ron Colombe, Shawnee flutist Grady Shadowhawk, Cherokee storyteller Robert RedHawk and contemporary musician and NAMMY nominee Timo Standing Buffalo.

“This is a great opportunity for sharing views and helping the community to know who we are and what we’re about and a wonderful opportunity to taste authentic Native American foods,” says Melissa Shelby, an event coordinator.

Shelby, an MTSU master’s degree candidate majoring in professional science, has a personal lineage that includes Cherokee and Choctaw ancestors.

In addition to IDAC, other sponsors and supporters include the MTSU offices of International Affairs and University Studies and the MTSU departments of Recording Industry, Political Science, English and History.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Vincent Windrow, director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, at 615-898-2238 or vwindrow@mtsu.edu.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[182] Faculty, Guests Jazzing Up Classic 'Nutcracker' Dec. 1 at MTSU

2011-11-22T10:17:00.001-06:00

Faculty, guests jazzing up classic ‘Nutcracker’ Dec. 1 at MTSU

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 21, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—MTSU jazz faculty and special Nashville guests will jazz up a classic this Christmas season, performing “The Jazz Nutcracker” on Thursday, Dec. 1, as part of the 2011-12 MTSU Jazz Artist Series.

The performance is set for 7:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall in the university’s Wright Music Building.

Russian composer Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky created “The Nutcracker Suite” for ballet in 1891. Jazz greats Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn transformed it into a nine-movement work for jazz orchestras for a 1960 Columbia Records release that has become a treasured classic.

“Performed in the Christmas season, this ballet score has become one of Tchaikovsky’s most popular pieces,” said Jamey Simmons, an associate professor of jazz studies and jazz trumpet at MTSU. “Because these (jazz) arrangements were written for the soloists in Duke’s band, it makes it fun to get inside their approach to performing.”

Simmons noted that as a creative team, Ellington and Strayhorn were among the most influential jazz composers and arrangers of all time, creating masterpieces like “Take the A Train,” “Lush Life” and “Chelsea Bridge.”

Performing “The Jazz Nutcracker” alongside Simmons on Dec. 1 will be MTSU jazz faculty members Don Aliquo on saxophone, Jim Ferguson on bass, Rick Mraz on saxophone and Derrek Phillips on drum set. Trombonists Roger Bissell and Greg Cox and trumpet players Matthew White and Steve Herrman, all jazz professionals from Nashville, will join them.

In addition, Matt Pivec, head of jazz studies at Butler University, will be the lead alto saxophone and clarinet player. The band also will feature a number of MTSU students and alumni.

During the performance, guest commentator Austin Bealmear, host of the syndicated radio show “Jazz on the Side,” will provide insights into the history of this jazz version of “The Nutcracker Suite.”

“It will be fun for the audience to hear how familiar melodies such as ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ and ‘Waltz of the Flowers’ were transformed to fit into the unique Ellington sound,” Simmons said.

Tickets for the Dec. 1 show are $15 each for the general public. Admission is free for MTSU faculty, staff and students with proper ID.

For more MTSU School of Music concert information, call 615-898-2493 or visit www.mtsumusic.com and click on the "Concert Calendar" link.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[182] Nashville's Henry to Receive Nunley Award Nov. 19 at MTSU

2011-11-17T12:31:00.002-06:00

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
Military science contact: Maj. Steve Daugherty, 615-898-2470 or sdaugher@mtsu.edu
Athletics contact: Marco Born, 615-898-5260 or Marco.Born@mtsu.edu

Nashville’s Henry to receive Nunley Award Nov. 19 at MTSU

MURFREESBORO — Douglas “Doug” Henry of Nashville has experienced a 40-year career in state government in the senate and house and a 52-year (and counting) marriage to his wife, Loiette.

Before marriage, college, life as an attorney, six children and politics, Henry enjoyed a distinguished military career. He served as a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II and received the Phillippine Independence Medal.

For his military efforts, Henry has been selected as the 22nd recipient of the Dr. Joe Nunley Memorial Award.

This presentation, which will take place in the Kennon Hall of Fame building adjacent to Murphy Center, will begin at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, during pregame activities before the 2 p.m. MTSU-Arkansas State University football game in Floyd Stadium.

The award is part of the 30th annual Salute to Armed Services/Veterans Day events, which also will include a veterans memorial service outside the Tom H. Jackson Building starting at 10:30 a.m., an 11:30 picnic for past and present military and their families and attending the football game.

Henry has held a number of public offices while serving in the house and senate, and also been a member of the Tennessee Bicentennial Commission, past chairman of the State Capitol Commission and past chair of the Southern Legislative Conference.

Community involvement for Henry includes being on the Nashville, Tennessee and American bar associations; and memberships on various boards, clubs and organizations. He is a member of American Legion Post 5, a lifetime member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars and member of the Douglas Henry Museum Commission.

Henry earned his bachelor’s and bachelor or laws degrees from Vanderbilt University. The Henry’s six children include oldest daughter Emily Henry McMahon, who died from cancer in 2006; twin daughters Kathryn Henry Choisser of Richmond, Va., and Lolly Henry Thompson of Nashville; son Robert Henry of Nashville; daughter Mary Leland Henry Kinloch of Nashville; and son Douglas C.H. Henry of Nashville. Doug and Loiette Henry have 13 grandchildren.

The award is named in honor of Nunley, an MTSU author, historian and professor, and former MTSU Alumni Relations director. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II. Nunley died Dec. 10, 1993.

Recipients of the Dr. Joe Nunley Memorial Award

2011 — State Sen. Doug Henry, Nashville
2010 — Charles Austin Jones, McMinnville
2009 — Roy Edwin Barker, Brentwood
2008 — Elmer Fayne Hayes, Murfreesboro
2007 — Ira Bradford Miller Sr.*, Murfreesboro
2006 — D. Ed Moody Jr., Franklin
2005 — Dr. Roger Washington Bouldin*, Hohenwald
2004 — Charles H. Warfield, Nashville
2003 — Warren G. King Sr., Nashville
2002 — Edward C Huffman*, Shelbyville
2001 — John A. Bragg, Franklin
2000 — Dr. Bob Womack*, Murfreesboro
1999 — PNC Harriett L. Howard, USNR (Ret.), Smyrna
1998 — L.W. Oliver Jr.*, Hendersonville
1997 — Mayor Joe B. Jackson*, Murfreesboro
1996 — State Rep. Shelby Rhinehart*, Spencer
1995 — Maj. Elizabeth Chastain*, USA (Ret.)
1994 — W.L. “Jug” Landers*, Shelbyville
1993 — State Rep. John Bragg*, Murfreesboro
1992 — Robert “Bob” DePriest, Hermitage
1991 — Robert “Bob” Couch, Tullahoma
1990 —Rayford Davis, McMinnville
* — Deceased

###

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[181] Madison County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

2011-11-16T15:07:00.001-06:00

MADISON COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Harris Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

MURFREESBORO—The Harris Farm, located in Madison County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
In 1905, W. S. Harris, J.W. Harris, and J.L. Harris purchased 102 acres in the Seventh Civil District of Madison County, Tenn. The men raised cotton, corn and cattle on their farm. In 1909, J.L. Harris conveyed his interest in the property to W.S. and J.W. Harris. W.S. married Madelyn Clason, and they were the parents of two children, Wesley Clason and Clarence Rowland Harris. Madelyn Harris also was active in the Home Demonstration Club.
In 1978, Madelyn and W. S. Harris’s sons acquired the family farm, which at the time consisted of 150 acres. Wesley and Clarence raised cotton, corn, soybeans and cattle. Wesley, who did not marry, was a member of the Farm Bureau. Clarence married Beulah G. Harris. Clarence, Beulah and Wesley were all members of the Young Farmers & Homemakers club. Clarence and Beulah had two children, Ronald G. Harris and Linda Carol H. Williamson. Carol was a 4-H member.
Ronald G. Harris, Carol Williamson and their mother, Beulah Harris, now own the Harris Farm. They raise cotton, corn and soybeans on their 150-acre farm. Ronald is married to Gale Harris and they, along with his mother, sister and brother-in-law, Bill Williamson, and Carol and Bill’s son, Brian Williamson, live on the farm today. The farm manager is Andy Williamson, a great-grandson of the founder.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.
• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

[180] Grainger County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

2011-11-16T15:03:00.000-06:00

For Release: Nov. 16, 2011
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

GRAINGER COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Daniel Farm in Narrow Valley Community Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

MURFREESBORO— The Daniel Farm in Narrow Valley Community, located in Grainger County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
In 1905, Orville Daniel purchased 95 acres for $900 in the Narrow Valley community of Grainger County. Daniel raised a variety of crops on his farm, including hay, corn, tobacco, vegetables and fruit along with livestock such as milk cows, calves and mules. Orville and his wife, Minnie M. Cameron Daniel, boarded the teachers for the Narrow Valley School at their farm in 1906, also feeding the horses ridden by the teachers to school during the week. Orville and Minnie were the parents of Mayme Oleta, Ella Mae and John James, also called “Pat.”
In 1963, these siblings, Mayme Flora, Ella Simpson and Pat Daniel—acquired the farm. Ella’s widower, Deaderick Simpson, deeded his portion of the farm back to Pat in 1978, and Mayme Flora deeded her interest in the farm to Pat’s heirs in 1993. Pat Daniel, along with his wife, Pauline, and their children, David Ronald, Patsy Kay Boling and Sandra Gail West raised hay, tobacco, corn, vegetables, tomatoes, dairy cows, calves and Herefords and Black Angus beef cattle. During the 1940s, Pauline milked the cows and made and sold sweet milk, buttermilk, cottage cheese and molded butter to neighbors. She remembers it being “a lot of hard work with very small pay.” Pauline continues to manage the farm, as she has done since Pat’s death in 1980. She hires help for the daily farm operation, which today includes hay and vegetables.

Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

[179] MTSU Ag Student Bryan Earns TN Council of Cooperative Scholarship

2011-11-16T15:01:00.001-06:00

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
School of Agribusiness and Agriscience contact: Dr. Warren Gill, 615-898-2523 or Warren.Gill@mtsu.edu

MTSU ag student Bryan earns TN Council of Cooperatives scholarship

MURFREESBORO — MTSU sophomore Jimmy Joe Bryan of Morrison, Tenn., is the recipient of a $750 scholarship from the Tennessee Council of Cooperatives, the TCC announced recently.

Bryan, the son of Steve and Eleanor Bryan of Morrison, is working on bachelor’s in agribusiness.

Bryan has worked in the MTSU Farm Laboratories, where he has been involved in all aspects of crop production. He has worked for Warren County Livestock, Bryan Livestock Company and Randall Walker Farms. He is a member of the Warren and Coffee county Farmers Cooperative and also a member of the Collegiate Future Farmers of America at MTSU.

After graduation, Bryan said he hopes to have a career in agriculture and also plans to raise beef cattle.

The Tennessee Council of Cooperatives sponsors six scholarships for agricultural students from each of Tennessee’s four-year ag programs. The scholarship program, started in 1984, is an effort to acknowledge and aid the young people most likely to return to communities served by rural cooperatives, a TCC news release states.

To be considered for the $750 scholarship, the student must be a Tennessee citizen, enrolled in a college of agriculture, maintain an overall grade point average of 2.5 out of a possible 4.0 and, if possible, be in in his or her junior year of study.

The TCC is a nonprofit organization established to promote the cooperative form of business through education and promotion of all types of cooperatives.

###

PHOTO CAPTION:

MTSU School of Agribusiness and Agriscience Chair Warren Gill, left, is shown as sophomore Jimmy Joe Bryan receives a Certificate of Recognition from Keith Harrison, a Tennessee Council of Cooperatives representative. Bryan earned a $750 scholarship from TCC.
Photo submitted by Tennessee Council of Cooperatives

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[178] MTSU Students Record for World's Largest Classical Label

2011-11-16T13:01:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 16, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU students record for world’s largest classical label

MURFREESBORO—Middle Tennessee State University’s Wind Ensemble is now the first and only university musical ensemble in Tennessee to record for the world’s largest classical music label.

“Angels in the Architecture,” a CD by the MTSU Wind Ensemble for the Franklin, Tenn.-based Naxos label’s Wind Band Classics, interprets the works of composer Frank Ticheli and two of his mentors, Pulitzer Prize-winning Leslie Bassett and 2007 Musical America Composer of the Year William Bolcom.

The 55-member ensemble, made up primarily of undergraduate MTSU students, performed Ticheli’s “Symphony No. 2 for Concert Band” and the title track, which was inspired by the Sydney Opera House in Australia, along with Balcom’s First Symphony for Band” and Bassett’s “Nonet—Two Movements for Winds, Brass and Piano.”

Dr. Reed Thomas, director of bands at MTSU, led the creative project, which followed a rigorous vetting process with a live concert performance by the ensemble and a yearlong international jury review.

“It really puts MTSU on the map to be the only university in Tennessee and one of the few universities ever on the Naxos label,” says Thomas, who also is a professor in the School of Music. “It sheds a very strong light on the high quality of our wind ensemble and our faculty work.”

Michael Fleming, an MTSU associate professor of recording industry, engineered and edited the production. It took place in three sessions totaling 14 hours in MTSU’s T. Earl Hinton Hall and Murfreesboro’s First United Methodist Church.

“MTSU has been recognized by the world’s largest classical label as a center of excellence by recording our ensemble and putting out a commercial recording,” says Dr. George Riordan, director of the MTSU School of Music. “Naxos recognizes that our wind ensemble and School of Music can compete in the global marketplace.”

“We were thrilled to be able to collaborate with Reed Thomas and his fine ensemble at MTSU to produce this great album and homage to the very talent composer, Frank Ticheli,” says Randall Foster, founder of Naxos Wind Band Classics. “This album is yet another indicator of just how much musical talent we have residing in middle Tennessee.”

MTSU’s WMOT-FM (89.5) has been airing tracks from “Angels in the Architecture” as part of its classical music programming and has given copies of the CD to its donors as premiums during fundraising campaigns.

“One of the educational assets of this recording is that many students wanting to find employment will have a leg up,” Thomas adds. “This will be a valuable part of their education.” The band director says that about one-third of the ensemble’s members have graduated since the recording was made.

For more information, contact the MTSU School of Music at 615-898-2469 or Kelly Rach with Naxos at 615-465-3806 or krach@naxosusa.com.

To order the CD, go to http://bit.ly/MTNaxosCD and click on “Buy and Download” on the right side of the page.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[177] MTSU to Promote Arts Offerings Under Single Brand

2011-11-16T13:00:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 16, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Andrew Oppmann, 615-494-7800

MTSU to promote arts offerings under single brand

MURFREESBORO—Middle Tennessee State University announced plans Nov. 16 to better promote its arts programs, including dance, music, theatre and visual arts, and increase public awareness and participation in its varied offerings.

University Provost Brad Bartel and Liberal Arts Dean Mark Byrnes, appearing at a ceremony on the stage of the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall in the Wright Music Building, unveiled a new brand for the combined marketing effort, MTSU Arts. It will be used in marketing of events by schools and departments within the College of Liberal Arts.

The announcement coincided with an announcement on the release of “Angels in the Architecture,” a CD by the MTSU Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Reed Thomas. The recording is the first and only by a Tennessee collegiate ensemble on the world’s largest classical-music label, Franklin, Tenn.-based Naxos, and its Wind Band Classics subsidiary.

“We are fortunate to have excellent fine arts departments, all within the College of Liberal Arts, which work throughout the year to schedule, plan and promote these events,” Byrnes said. “By combining and coordinating their events into a single brand, MTSU Arts, we can be more effective in our advertising, marketing and promotion.”

WMOT-FM (89.5), the University’s 100,000-watt public radio station, will be the broadcast home of MTSU Arts. WMOT will promote MTSU Arts events and seek opportunities to include MTSU Arts in its programming.

“WMOT’s strong emphasis on classical music on weekdays, jazz music at nights and varied styles on the weekend perfectly complements this effort,” the provost said.

Bartel said the University values community interaction and participation and sees stronger promotion of the arts as an opportunity to bring more people to campus. “We hope to build our audience–and awareness of the fine work by our students and faculty–under this brand,” he said.

The MTSU Arts branding effort will begin in earnest in January. The effort will include:

• more focused promotion of students and faculty and works, as illustrated by the Wind Ensemble’s CD release announcement;
• a wider variety of print and digital events calendars and tools to promote MTSU Arts offerings on campus;
• the anticipated January launch of a centralized site, www.mtsuarts.com, which will be a calendar and reference tool for the MTSU Arts efforts; and
• creation of strategic community partnerships to increase civic involvement and ties to MTSU Arts programs and offerings.

“We have many great events on campus, and we want to make it as easy as possible for members of the public to learn about them and attend them,” Bartel said. “The breadth and depth of our student and faculty creativity is one of MTSU’s most appealing assets.”

Those events include Thursday’s free performance by the MTSU Wind Ensemble (7:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Wright Music Building), as well as concerts by the MTSU Symphony Orchestra on Nov. 20, the MTSU Jazz Ensemble on Nov. 21 and the MTSU Singers on Nov. 22. Click on the "Concert Calendar" link at www.mtsumusic.com for details.

The Theatre and Dance Program’s production of “Underwear: The Musical” started Nov. 15 and continues through Saturday, Nov. 19. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. at Tucker Theatre. Details are available at http://mtsunews.com/underwear-the-musical.

Recent offerings included theatre productions of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”; the dance program’s creation of “Exodus,” a student research project exploring forms of human departure, including the Underground Railroad and the Holocaust; and the Todd Art Gallery’s “Ave Atque Vale” (“Hail and Farewell”) exhibit.

Bartel noted that MTSU has multiple and robust arts offerings available to the public for low or no cost.

“MTSU is an engine for cultural transformation for Murfreesboro and middle Tennessee,” he said. “Our hope is MTSU Arts will help our community be more aware of the richness of these experiences.”

--30--

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.co

[176] MTSU Professors, Students Return to "Dark Side" for Nov. 19 Benefit

2011-11-16T12:59:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 15, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Steve Holeman, steve@steveholeman.com or 615-995-6013

MTSU professors, students return to ‘Dark Side’ for Nov. 19 benefit

MURFREESBORO—The Pink Floyd tribute band Us & Them takes the Bluesboro stage on Murfreesboro’s Public Square on Saturday, Nov. 19, to perform the best-selling album “Dark Side of the Moon.”

Admission for the 8 p.m. show is $8 per person, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit scholarships for MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry.

Us & Them includes MTSU recording-industry professors Bill Crabtree and Cosette Collier and engineer Dale Brown and Computer Information Systems professor Amy Hennington, along with graduate student Matt Leigh. Us & Them also features Steve Holeman, John Nichols, Stacey Lee and Candace Warner, and recording-industry majors Taylor Bray and Jeff Braun will mix the performance.

The idea to perform “Dark Side of the Moon,” Pink Floyd’s most commercially successful album, arose during rehearsals for a cover band called 2nd & Vine. That group includes several Us & Them members and is scheduled to open for Us & Them on Saturday night.

Us & Them’s debut in fall 2010 at a benefit performance for Autism Speaks netted almost $2,000 from a packed house as well as a standing ovation.

“Dark Side of the Moon,” which has sold more than 15 million copies in the United States alone, spawned two singles, “Money” and “Us and Them.”

For more information about the show, including reserved seating, contact Holeman at 615-995-6013 or Steve@SteveHoleman.com.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[175] Cypress Creek Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

2011-11-14T15:30:00.001-06:00

BENTON COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Cypress Creek Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

MURFREESBORO — The Cypress Creek Farm, located in Benton County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
Members of the Thompson-Branch family have lived on the Cypress Creek Farm located, southeast of Camden, since at least 1849. Family tradition has the Thompsons living on the property since 1819. A War of 1812 veteran, William Thompson, and his wife, Penelope Holland, began cultivating land acquired from the Chickasaw Indians in the 1818 Jackson Purchase. Soon the Thompsons had built a simple log cabin and had an operating cotton gin and still. After William’s death, the couple’s 12 children filed legal claims for 322.5 acres and divided it among themselves in 1849. They raised enough livestock and crops to meet their needs.
The next owner was the founders’ son, Charles Hodges Thompson. By the Civil War, he had purchased 10 tracts from his siblings and had built his own log cabin near his mother’s home. Charles and his wife, Fredonia “Adaline” Utley had 10 children and were engaged in a wide range of agricultural actives. They had a fruit orchard, kept bees, and raised livestock, corn, wheat, tobacco and vegetables. Charles also built a bridge for Camden-Rockport Road travelers to cross the Cypress Creek. For this, he received $20 from the Benton County Court in 1860. This bridge has been replaced by a wooden bridge and then a steel structure.
Although the family had a productive farm following the Civil War, debt hit the Thompsons hard when Charles died suddenly in 1879, forcing the land to be sold at auction. Adaline’s uncle purchased much of the property and immediately deeded 80 acres back to her.
In the following years, Adaline Thompson and her two oldest daughters, Nancy “Velonia” and Arena Jane, worked hard to plow, weed, cultivate, and harvest their crops. The trip produced 500 bushels of corn and, 150 bushels of oats, along with cotton, honey, firewood and truck vegetables. Much of this was sold, but “some was kept for home consumption” family members say.
Arena Thompson married Martin Branch, and he purchased land that adjoined his mother-in-law’s in 1889. By 1899, the Branches had acquired the Thompsons’ 80 acres, increasing their property to 155 acres.
The couple had two boys, William “Willie” Clarence and George “Fay” Willie eventually took on many of the farming responsibilities, growing a diverse crop as had previous generations. Willie also working for the NC & St. L. Railroad and was the county surveyor. During World War I, Fay was drafted into the Navy, while Willie remained at home because he was a public official.
In the early 1920s, Willie Branch inherited adjoining land from his uncle, Lem Thompson. Here, he and his wife, Lola Bridges, built a two-story concrete stone house. After Martin and Arena’s deaths, Fay inherited the 80 acres that had been Adaline’s, and Willie continued to manage the farm activities; Willie eventually purchased this land from his brother, now owning more than 400 acres.
Lola and Willie Branch had one son, William “Billy” George. Billy George is the eighth and current owner, owning all 322.5 acres of the original 1849 farm in addition to adjoining property. He and his first wife, Lydia Laux, had three children: David, Linda and Carol. Billy George and Dankin Cepedes, his second wife, are the parents of Martin and Nicole.
The Branches have continued to be active in the agricultural legacy of the Cypress Creek Farm. Until the 1960s, they raised goats, hogs and chickens for personal use and cattle and beefalo until the early 2000s. In the 1980s, Billy George’s beefalo herd was recognized by the American Beefalo Association when he won “Breeder of the Year.” Since 2000, the property has been used for hay production and as a tree farm. About 34 acres are planted with cypress trees, and this portion of the farm is in the Federal Conservation Program.
Since 1819, the Thompson-Branch family has been actively involved in the agricultural history of Tennessee while also being leaders of their community. Many of the family’s houses and outbuildings still remain on the property and are reminders of Cypress Creek Farm’s long history.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

[174] Rhea County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

2011-11-14T13:51:00.001-06:00

For Release: Nov. 14, 2011
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

RHEA COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Double S Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

MURFREESBORO— The Double S Farm, located in Rhea County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
John Q. Shaver, a confederate veteran of the Civil War, purchased 200 acres in Rhea County just east of Dayton. Upon acquiring the land in August 1868 he and his wife, Elmira, began growing hay, corn and cattle. John, a religious man, donated the land for Salem Baptist Church. He preached at this church and also traveled to deliver sermons. The Shavers had eight children: Henry Houston, Nancy Jane, Jesse, Hester, Alice, Mary Delia, Ida and Ollie.
The Shaver family has remained on the farm for 143 years, passing through five owners and four generations. In 1903, the founder’s son, Henry Houston Shaver, was next to farm the land. Henry had nine children with his wife, Mattie. This generation of Shavers grew strawberries, corn and hay. The farm was then managed by Wallace Shaver, Henry’s son, who continued to grow the same crops.
Wallace passed the farm to his brother, John Hudson, a World War I veteran. John Hudson Shaver, raised cattle, hogs, mules, corn and hay. In addition to these agricultural activities, he was a prominent strawberry producer.
In 1970, John Q. Shaver’s great-grandson, Marvin R. Shaver, and his wife, Debbie, acquired the land and now own 45 acres of the original farm. With the help of their son, John A. Shaver, they grow cattle, hay and sheep. Marvin served in the Vietnam War, was in 4-H and was the Future Farmers of America chapter president. John also was in 4-H and FFA. The Double S Farm is the sixth certified Century Farm in Rhea County.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

[173] Sullivan County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

2011-11-14T13:37:00.002-06:00

For Release: Nov. 14, 2011
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

SULLIVAN COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Samuel Bruce Slaughter Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

MURFREESBORO—The Samuel Bruce Slaughter Farm, located in Sullivan County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
By 1871, Margaret Cross and her husband, Jacob Slaughter had obtained a farm of about 34 acres in Sullivan County, not far from Blountville. Margaret and Jacob raised corn, hay, wheat and livestock on their acreage. Jacob Slaughter was a Confederate veteran and received a pension for his war service. Through the years, Margaret and Jacob, who had four children, obtained additional land that had belonged to her family, so that by 1896, the farm contained 55 ½ acres.
In 1906, Samuel Bruce Slaughter, a son of Margaret and Jacob, inherited the farm. He raised corn, wheat, hay, livestock, orchards and a vegetable garden. Samuel married Sarah Elizabeth Hendrickson in September 1900, and they were the parents of three children, Lonnie Paul, James Dedrick, and Iva Lucille. Iva Lucille married Deward Crussell in 1930, and they were the parents of three children.
In 1979, Mary E. Crussell Grizzel, a daughter of Iva and Deward Crussell, inherited part of the farm. She obtained additional acreage in 2000 and today owns approximately 17 acres of her grandfather’s farm. Married to Sidney Lee Grizzel Sr., the couple raises cattle, horses, hay and garden produce on the farm. A number of buildings predating 1960 remain on the farm, including a barn, grainery, corn crib and log cabin. Sidney Lee Grizzel Sr. and his grandson, Timothy Grizzel, work the land. The Samuel Bruce Slaughter Farm is the 23rd certified Century Farm in Sullivan County.

Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

[172] MTSU Mock Trial Squad Wins 48-Team Mid-South Tournament

2011-11-14T13:26:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 14, 2011

EDITORIAL contact: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385 or Gina.Fann@mtsu.edu
MTSU mock trial contact: Dr. John Vile, 615-898-2152 or John.Vile@mtsu.edu

MTSU mock trial squad wins 48-team Mid-South tournament

MURFREESBORO — An MTSU team was crowned Mid-South Mock Trial Invitational Tournament champion at Middle Tennessee State University Nov. 11-12.

The tournament, which has been held annually at MTSU for 20 years, is among the largest and most prestigious in the nation.

This year’s tournament, which was held in the Business and Aerospace Building, featured 48 teams from 24 colleges and universities in 11 states. Because of its size, the tournament was divided into two 24-team divisions, each of which competed for four rounds (two on the prosecution and two on the defense), each with ballots from two judges.

In one division a team from the University of Central Florida earned first place with an 8-0 record. Teams from the University of Central Florida (7-1), Vanderbilt University (7-1), the University of Georgia (6-2) and Southern Methodist University (5½-2½) respectively took second, third, fourth and fifth place in this division.

A team headed by MTSU senior Rachel Harmon of Atlanta, Ga., captured first place in the other division with an 8-0 record, followed by teams from the University of Georgia (7-1), the University of Central Florida (6½-2½), the University of Georgia (6-2) and Rhodes College (6-2.)

Because the teams MTSU faced had stronger win/loss records, this team also received the tournament’s traveling gavel. Samantha Farrish, on another MTSU team, also received a top-10 attorney award.

In addition to Harmon, the MTSU winning team consisted of Zac Barker and Constance Grieves, who also played attorney roles, and Chris Hardman, James Johnson, Curtis Strode and Chanekka Pullens, who played the roles of witnesses.
The team faced Kennesaw State University in the first round, the University of Georgia in the second round, the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the third round and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in the fourth round.

Vile said MTSU’s 8-0 record especially was impressive because the team handed UT- Knoxville UAB their only losses.

Dr. John R. Vile, dean of the University Honors College, and local attorneys Brandi Snow and Shiva Bozarth, coach the MTSU teams. MTSU mock trial alumni and members of the local bar help with judging.

For the first time in its 20-year history, the tournament offered continuing legal education credit for interested Tennessee attorneys, Vile said.

Teams will continue invitational tournaments in December and January before going to regional and national competitions from February through April.

###

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[171] Women's & Gender Studies Lecture Targets Women's Health

2011-11-14T13:25:00.001-06:00

EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS: THE LECTURER HAS CHANGED THE TITLE AND SCOPE OF HIS UPCOMING PRESENTATION SINCE THE ORIGINAL RELEASE PROMOTING THIS EVENT WAS SENT TO YOU ON OCT. 31. PLEASE DISCARD THAT RELEASE AND SUBSTITUTE THIS ONE. THANK YOU.

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 14, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

WOMEN’S & GENDER STUDIES LECTURE TARGETS WOMEN’S HEALTH
Surviving 21st Century Stress Subject of Personal Conditioning Expert’s Address

MURFREESBORO—Joel Malone will address the topic of “Women’s Wellness in the 21st Century” from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 in the SunTrust Room, or Room N127, of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building.

This event, which is free and open to the public, will be the final installment in the fall 2011 Women’s and Gender Studies Research Series of lectures.

The presentation will focus on helping women to become healthier, happier and more productive despite the stress of 21st century living. Topics will include the benefit of positive relationships, optimal nutrition, personal environmental design and recent advances in the understanding of human brain chemistry.

Malone, a graduate teaching assistant from Franklin who has taught classes in personal conditioning, is working toward his doctoral degree in the Department of Health and Human Performance at MTSU.

For more information, contact Dr. Pat Bradley at 615-904-8128 or pat.bradley@mtsu.edu.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[170] MTSU's Zlotky to Receive Special State Aviation Award

2011-11-11T13:51:00.001-06:00

Today’s date: Nov. 11, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
Aerospace contact: Gail Zlotky, 615-898-2290, 615-898=5302 (ATC lab),
615-481-2909 (cell) or Gail.Zlotky@mtsu.edu

MTSU’s Zlotky to receive special state aviation award

MURFREESBORO — Five years of tireless effort to bring a world-class air traffic control laboratory to MTSU have earned Gail Zlotky and the University statewide recognition.

Saturday night in Sevierville, Zlotky will receive the Tennessee Aviation Person of the Year Award. Zlotky conceived the ATC lab idea, followed through with the plan and withstood budget hurdles to see it come to fruition with its opening in March.

About 30 MTSU faculty and students will support Zlotky by attending the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame Gala, which will be held at the Tennessee Museum of Aviation.

“I didn’t do this alone,” a humble Zlotky says of the honor. “This ought to be an MTSU award, not a ‘me’ award.” She added that all the people involved, from those at the University to the Tennessee Board of Regents, “showed they believe in me and this (award) is pretty overwhelming.”

“We in the Department of Aerospace are very proud of Gail’s award,” said Dr. Wayne Dornan, department chair, who said he was able to secure a $3.5 million state bond for the project. “Her tireless work to establish the state-of-the-art air traffic control facility will benefit not only MTSU students, but also enhance safety for air traffic controllers in the United States.”

Bob Minter, founder of the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame and co-founder of the Tennessee Aviation Association, nominated Zlotky, an MTSU alumna (’93, ’94), who was shocked to learn about the honor.

“It took a while to wrap my head around it,” she said. “I just wanted a great lab. “A lot of people in Washington, D.C., are paying attention. I think it’s a good thing.”

Zlotky’s main job responsibility is to “teach students to be professionals as well as air traffic controllers. Part of the job is getting to know the students well enough to give them the MTSU recommendations. They are moving it to a very high-profile, high-security and high-stress job. With all of this in mind, students have to prove themselves on many levels.”

Fellow faculty member Joe Hawkins (’99) was inducted into the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008.

###

Note: A high-resolution jpeg photo of Gail Zlotky will be available. To request, call Randy Weiler in News and Media Relations at 615-898-5616 or email Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[169] Hang Onto Your Seats! MTSU Production of 'Underwear' Set Nov. 15-19

2011-11-11T13:06:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 10, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Drew Kerr or Justin Durham, 615-898-2181

Hang onto your seats! MTSU production of ‘Underwear’ set Nov. 15-19

MURFREESBORO—MTSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance is ready to escort audiences into outer space with “Underwear: The Musical,” set Nov. 15-19 in the University’s renowned Tucker Theatre.

The curtains will rise at 7:30 each evening in this eccentric production, written by MTSU alumni Brandon James Gwinn and Heidi Ervin and directed by Deborah Anderson, MTSU professor of performance studies.

The quirky musical reflects the far-out lives of underwear models from outer space, and cast and crew alike say it’s great for anyone looking for a night of quality entertainment. Just like all great theater, “Underwear: The Musical” follows the adventures of a controlling villain, a stereotyped heartthrob and a hard-working damsel. But how will love pan out in outer space? Cue the music! Drop the trousers!

“Underwear is just a wild romp of a show, and it’s certainly not your usual college musical,” says sophomore theatre major Caleb Marshall, who plays the role of “Andi,” the handsome fashion icon, in the production.

“It’s the most hilarious show I’ve been a part of, plus the songs are incredibly catchy. Behind all the crazy costumes, elaborate sets and raunchy writing, this show has a heart of gold!”

Parents, take note: There’s risqué language and some profanity, plus various stages of undress (both sexes in underwear, sequins and spandex), so “Underwear: The Musical” isn’t advised for children or young teenagers.

General-admission tickets for “Underwear: The Musical” are $10 for adults and $5 for children and may be purchased online at www.mtsu.edu/tuckertheatre via the “Purchase Tickets” button on the left toolbar. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid student ID. Tickets also will be available at the door before each performance.

For more information, call 615-494-8810.

—30—

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mts

[168] MTSU, DSCC Sign Pact to Streamline Student Transfers

2011-11-10T16:23:00.001-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 10, 2011

MTSU News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
Dyersburg State contact: Jane Pate, 731-286-3347 or pate@dscc.edu

MTSU, DSCC sign pact to streamline student transfers

JACKSON, Tenn. — The presidents of Middle Tennessee State University and Dyersburg State Community College signed an agreement Thursday that provides a framework for programs to enhance the educational experience of students attending both schools.

The agreement, signed by MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Dyersburg State President Karen A. Bowyer, includes dual admissions, concurrent enrollment, reverse transfer, consortium agreements and cooperative advising for students.

McPhee and Bowyer signed the agreement in Jackson prior to one of MTSU’s West Tennessee open-house events for prospective students.

“We deeply value this opportunity to strengthen our close relationship with Dyersburg State and believe this agreement affords tremendous opportunities for the students we both serve,” McPhee said. “We are proud that MTSU is the No. 1 destination of transfer students in Tennessee and pleased this agreement will make it easier for Dyersburg State students to attend our university.”

Bowyer said Dyersburg State Community College is “delighted to have the opportunity to sign a dual agreement with MTSU.”

“In the past, DSCC students have easily transferred to MTSU,” she said. “This agreement will ensure that now students are better informed about college-completion requirements every step of the way from their first days at DSCC to their arrival at MTSU as a full-fledged college junior.”

More than 50 Dyersburg State students have transferred to MTSU in the last two years.

Dual admission offers a structured, guaranteed pathway to help Dyersburg State students progress from an associate’s degree program directly to a bachelor’s degree program at MTSU. Students must meet specific eligibility requirements to apply for dual admission and to participate in concurrent enrollment.

The new agreement allows joint admissions and opportunities for concurrent class enrollment at both institutions. It also will enable students to receive financial aid based on combined enrollment.

Dyersburg State students also will receive an MTSU ID, email address and access to our Raidernet/pipeline account where students will be able to access their MTSU information online.

Officials from both schools said the goal is to eliminate barriers for students in attaining their educational goals, as well as to improve academic programs and student success and retention.

The reverse-transfer aspect of the agreement allows DSCC students who transfer to MTSU before receiving an associate’s degree to transfer their MTSU course work back to the community college, eventually allowing them to get a Dyersburg State Community College diploma.

“The reverse-transfer element of this agreement, the first of its kind among agreements we have signed, is particularly exciting,” McPhee said. “It gives Dyersburg State students several options to earn degrees from both institutions.”

###

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[167] A Hundred Years, A Million Library Volumes for MTSU

2011-11-10T16:21:00.004-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 10, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

A HUNDRED YEARS, A MILLION LIBRARY VOLUMES FOR MTSU
Rustic Millionth Book Chronicles Part of Early Tennessee History

MURFREESBORO—The James E. Walker Library has reached an historic milestone with the acquisition of its one-millionth volume, the first book published in Tennessee, in Middle Tennessee State University’s 100th year.

“Laws of the State of Tennessee” was printed in Knoxville in 1803 by George Roulstone, a native Bostonian who moved his printing press to Tennessee at the urging of William Blount. Blount was governor of the territory south of the Ohio River before Tennessee’s admission to the Union in 1796.

Roulstone initially set up the first printing press in Rogersville, in what would become Tennessee, and began printing the Knoxville Gazette newspaper, as well as legal and theological works, in 1791.

“Laws of the State of Tennessee” was printed on “low-quality handmade paper,” according to Dr. Alan Boehm, director of special collections for the library, and was bound with what appears to be pigskin stretched over pressed sheets of paper to form the cover.

Since the title page is not set off from the table of contents and there is little space separating topics on the pages, Boehm concludes that Roulstone “couldn’t afford to waste paper, apparently.”

The Early Tennessee Imprints collection in the Walker Library’s Special Collections includes some 200 books and other print materials produced in Tennessee between 1791 and 1866, the first year after the Civil War.

“Every book is a cultural artifact, and its physical and material properties tell you something about literacy and reading and writing and authorship in that book’s time,” says Boehm.

For more information, contact Kristen Keene at 615-898-5376 or kkeene@mtsu.edu.

-30—
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[166] Fighting Fat, Favoring Fitness Subject of Free MTSU Lecture

2011-11-10T16:21:00.002-06:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 9, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

FIGHTING FAT, FAVORING FITNESS SUBJECT OF FREE MTSU LECTURE
Leader of ‘Eat Well, Play More Tennessee’ to Pinpoint Statewide Progress

MURFREESBORO—“Healthy Eating and Active Living in Tennessee: How Are We Doing?” is the subject of a lecture slated for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building.

This event is free and open to the public.

The speaker will be Joan Randall, an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Education and Administration at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and administrative director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Obesity and Metabolism.

Randall has led the comprehensive statewide plan, “Eat Well, Play More Tennessee,” which was implemented in 2010 to help reduce obesity and chronic disease in Tennessee by raising physical activity levels and improving dietary behaviors.

She also is the primary investigator of a health-management project to design and evaluate a wellness program to manage obesity and excess weight among 270,000 employees of the state of Tennessee and their spouses.

Randall’s talk is sponsored by the MTSU-based Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series in Youth Fitness and Sport.

For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[165] West Point-bound MTSU Bold Warriors Earn Top Region Award

2011-11-09T10:37:00.001-06:00

Today’s date: Nov. 9, 2011

News and Media Relations contacts: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
or Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919 or Thomas.Tozer@mtsu.edu

West Point-bound MTSU Bold Warriors earn top region award

MURFREESBORO — MTSU’s 11-member Ranger Challenge team will have some mid-October efforts rewarded this Thursday morning.

The team will be honored with the presentation of the first-place award it captured during the annual Bold Warrior Challenge Oct. 14 at Ft. Knox, Ky.

Col. Michael Chinn, 7th Brigade commander and cadet commander at Ft. Knox, will deliver the award to the MTSU ROTC program team Nov. 10 at 11:30 a.m. The presentation will be held, weather permitting, outside the Tom H. Jackson Building at the military memorial site between Kirksey Old Main and Rutledge Hall. The public is invited. In the event of inclement weather, the event will move inside to Cantrell Hall.

Ranger Challenge team members include Brandon Pearson, Kim Isham, Kenneth Davie, Chase Morris, Elizabeth Dang, Elliot Ralston, Justin McIntosh, Brenden Duke, Wesley Smitty, Austin Blanchard and William Kemp. Pearson serves as team captain.

Capt. Aaron Billingsley and Master Sgt. Chad Price are cadre instructors for the team.

By virtue of its first-place showing, the team will advance to The Sandhurst Competition, an international event, in April 2012 at West Point, N.Y.

Lt. Col. T.K. Kast is professor of military science, overseeing the military science program — one of 10 College of Basic and Applied Sciences departments.

###

Media welcomed.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[164] Entrepreneur Saint Visits MTSU Nov. 14

2011-11-08T15:43:00.000-06:00

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
Aerospace contacts: Nate Callender, 615-898-5983 or Nate.Callender@mtsu.edu
or Joe Cooper, 715-577-0821

Entrepreneur Saint visits MTSU Nov. 14

MURFREESBORO — Entrepreneur, businessman, missionary, filmmaker and author Steve Saint will appear at MTSU Monday, Nov. 14, speaking to an array of students, the campus community and general public.

Sponsored by the Distinguished Lecture Fund, Saint’s talk will be at 9 a.m. in the Keathley University Center Theater. He will field audience questions after his address.

In addition to Saint’s previously mentioned endeavors, he is an inventor and engineer. He was born to missionary parents in Ecuador in 1951. The native Waodani Indians killed Saint’s father, Nate, and four other people in 1956. Saint has spent much of his adult life serving indigenous people in Africa and Central and South America.

“He has a compelling personal and professional story to tell and to share with the MTSU and Murfreesboro communities,” said Joe Cooper, an MTSU aerospace graduate student, who has helped coordinate Saint’s campus visit along with aerospace Assistant Professor Nate Callender. “The story of forgiveness and redemption has been told in the book, Through the Gates of Splendor, and in the 2005 movie, End of the Spear.”

Saint and Mincaye Enquedi, who was part of the 1956 attack and believed to have speared Nate Saint and fellow missionary Ed McCully during the attack, have become close. Mincaye, who became a Christian, adopted Steve Saint as his tribal son.

In 1996, Saint established I-TEC, or the Indigenous Technology Education Center, based in Dunnellon, Fla. He did this to develop, produce and distribute unique tools and training for native peoples in frontier areas. The special tools are branded I-See (vision), I-Dent (dental), I-Med (health care), I-Fix (technology training) and I-Fly, which features Maverick, a true flying car/powered parachute) for frontier transportation.

To learn more about I-TEC and Saint, go online to www.itecusa.org. To learn more about Saint’s appearance, call 615-898-5983 or 715-577-0821.

###

Media welcomed.

Photo caption

Mincaye Enquedi, left, and Steve Saint have become close friends. Mincaye is believed to be the man who killed Saint’s father, Nate, in a 1956 attack by Waodani Indians on five missionaries in a remote area of Ecuador.

File photo provided by I-TEC

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[163] Vanderbilt Captures "Battle of the Brains" Computer Contest Nov. 5 at MTSU

2011-11-08T09:08:00.001-06:00

Today’s date: Nov. 7, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU Computer Science contact: Dr. Chrisila Pettey, 615-898-2397 or Chrisila.Pettey@mtsu.edu

Vanderbilt captures ‘battle of the brains’ computer contest Nov. 5 at MTSU

MURFREESBORO — Vanderbilt Red earned first-place honors here Nov. 5 in the 36th annual Association for Computing Machinery Mid-Central USA Programming Contest in the “battle of the brains” regional held at MTSU.

The Vanderbilt Red trio of Krzysztof Zienkiewicz, Zach McCormick and Richard Williams solved five problems during the five-hour contest, which was held in Kirksey Old Main. Unofficially, Vanderbilt placed eighth overall in the full 150-team Mid-Central region, which includes Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois (including the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area), Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Finishing second was the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Rounding out the top five were MTSU Blueraider #1, East Tennessee State University Team Edward and ETSU The Toasters. Blueraider #1 unofficially placed 22nd in the entire region. The first five places all solved five problems, but Vanderbilt Red earned the title on tiebreakers.

Blueraider #1 team members included graduate student Michael Chasteen of Smyrna, senior Matthew Houglum of Christiana and senior Nathan Reale of Franklin. They captured the Mid-Central regional held at Tennessee Tech in 2010.

Blueraider #2, which finished sixth this year, included junior Daniel Cowan of Mt. Juliet, senior Anthony Mills of Murfreesboro and grad student Thomas Richards of Germantown, Tenn.

Twenty-five teams from nine universities competed in the ACM Mid-Central at MTSU. Other schools represented included Belmont, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State, Maryville College and the University of North Alabama.

###

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU is celebrating its 100th anniversary with special events and activities throughout the 2011-12 academic year.

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[162] MTSU President, Deans Hold Open Houses in Memphis, Jackson

2011-11-04T14:22:00.001-05:00

Today’s date: Nov. 4, 2011

Editorial contact: Andrew Oppmann, 615-494-7800 (office) or Andrew.Oppmann@mtsu.edu

MTSU president, deans hold open houses in Memphis, Jackson

MURFREESBORO — Middle Tennessee State University’s president and academic deans will be in Memphis and Jackson on Nov. 9 and 10, respectively, to talk with prospective students and high-school guidance counselors about the Murfreesboro campus.

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, along with University deans, officials and admissions counselors, will host free, public open houses in Memphis on Wednesday and Jackson on Thursday.

The Memphis event will be held at The Great Hall & Conference Center, 1900 S. Germantown Road, in Germantown. The Jackson event will be at the DoubleTree Hotel, 1170 Hwy. 45 Bypass, in Jackson. Both student receptions run from 5 to 7 p.m.

“We’re bringing MTSU to you,” McPhee said. “We hope prospective students can join members of the MTSU community at one of these events and learn more about our excellent programs, wonderful faculty and beautiful campus in Murfreesboro.”

Prospective students can register to attend either event by clicking on the large “See you in Memphis and Jackson!” box at www.mtsu.edu. Walk-in attendees also are welcome.

MTSU, which is celebrating its centennial in 2011, is the oldest and largest university in the Tennessee Board of Regents system. It is the No. 1 choice of undergraduate students and transfer students in the state.

It offers more than 140 undergraduate programs in its nine colleges. MTSU has received regional and national acclaim for a variety of programs and activities, including unique offerings in programs as diverse as recording industry, horse science, aerospace and its pioneering academic program in Concrete Industry Management.

Many of MTSU’s more traditional programs, like agricultural science, nursing, accounting and education, are considered among the best in the region.

###

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[160] MTSU Offers Fulbright Workshops Nov. 16

2011-11-04T11:30:00.000-05:00

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
Honors College contact: Laura Clippard, 615-898-5464 or Laura.Clippard@mtsu.edu

MTSU offers Fulbright workshops Nov. 16

MURFREESBORO — In the past four years, six MTSU students have earned prestigious Fulbright Awards to study, teach and conduct research abroad.

Who might be the next Fulbright candidates?

Prospective Fulbright candidates can learn more about the eligibility process by attending any of three workshops that will be held in the Keathley University Center Theater. The 45-minute sessions will be held Wednesday, Nov. 16, starting at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The workshops are open to all students.

Students also are encouraged to attend the Nov. 16 Study Abroad Fair, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first- and second-floor lobbies in KUC.

Leading the workshops will be Laura Clippard, University Honors College adviser and MTSU’s coordinator of the Undergraduate Fellowship Office, which coordinates the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

The Fulbright is the U.S. government’s flagship educational and cultural exchange program for students with study, research or teaching assistant opportunities in more than 140 countries. Benefits include a year of study with round-trip airfare, monthly stipend, health insurance and research allowance.

Previous Fulbright recipients include 2011 awardees Patrick Pratt (international relations major studying in Tanzania); Christopher Watkins (French/global studies major studying in Morocco); and Kimberly Yarborough (international relations and Spanish major studying in Spain); 2010 honorees Kaitlen Howell (German and biology major who studied in Germany) and Eric Little (history and Spanish major who studied in Portugal); 2008 recipient Brandon Armstrong (German major who studied in Germany); and 2001 awardee Brian Chance (philosophy and German major who studied in Germany).
For more information, email Clippard at Laura.Clippard@mtsu.edu.or call 615-898-5464.

###

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[159] MTSU and Motlow Ink Agreement to Ease Transition from Community College to University

2011-11-04T09:22:00.001-05:00

Nov. 2, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

MTSU and Motlow ink agreement to ease transition from community college to university

The presidents of Middle Tennessee State University and Motlow State Community College today signed a memorandum of understanding to make it possible for students who earn a two-year associate’s degree to apply those credits toward earning a four-year bachelor’s degree.

MTSU’s Dr. Sidney A. McPhee and Motlow’s Dr. Mary Lou Apple officially authorized a Dual Admission Program to ease the transfer process between the two Tennessee Board of Regents institutions and encourage students’ academic success.

The signing took place on the MTSU campus and launches MTSU's third such program. The University has already established dual-admission programs with Chattanooga State and Nashville State community colleges.

“In light of the recent Complete College Tennessee Act that was historic legislation passed and approved by the General Assembly about a year and a half ago, universities and community colleges have made additional efforts to provide what we call hassle-free pathways for our community college students to move on to the university and pursue their undergraduate degrees and other professional training,” noted McPhee. “We believe this dual-admissions agreement with Motlow Community College will be in line and consistent with that goal.

“We have for a number of years encouraged many of our students who sought admission to our university, after advising and counseling them, to begin their studies at Motlow. That has been a really good resource for MTSU.”

McPhee added that according to data from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, MTSU is the first choice in the state for transfer students from a community college or another university—and Motlow is MTSU’s No. 1 feeder school.

“I want to congratulate you on being an institution that has stepped up to the plate to be such a resource to so many different students,” Apple responded. “For us it is about the student—I think that’s why we work well with MTSU. Just as Dr. McPhee talked about MTSU advising students to come to Motlow, we, in turn, counsel students who need to go directly to MTSU. That’s a partnership. … We will continue to ask ourselves, what’s the next thing we need to do to help our students be successful?”

Students must meet certain criteria to be eligible for the new partnership with Motlow, including meeting admissions standards for Motlow, earning up to 29 college semester hours and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 grade-point average.

After fulfilling all their dual-admission requirements, students will be guaranteed admission to MTSU. Participating Motlow students will be able to save money by completing their first two years at the community college but will also be exposed to the university environment and become familiar with MTSU professors and staff. Advising will be available at both institutions, and students who leave MSCC will be able to register at MTSU during the priority registration period.

“Even though we’re a campus approaching 27,000 students, we don’t behave like that,” McPhee said. “It’s because of initiatives like this that we reach out to breal the campus down in areas where students can feel more comfortable as they maneuver their studies and the campus. When we say we’re student-centered campus, it’s not just rhetoric.”

-----
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

-30-

[158] Belmont University President to Speak at MTSU Symposium

2011-11-02T14:41:00.001-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 2, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

BELMONT UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT TO SPEAK AT MTSU SYMPOSIUM
Science and Spirituality Forum Gathering to Learn what Dying People Can Teach Us

MURFREESBORO—Dr. Robert Fisher, president of Belmont University, will deliver the keynote address at the fall symposium of MTSU’s Science and Spirituality Forum, “What Can the Dying Teach the Living?”, on Thursday, Nov. 10.

The event is planned for 7 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building.

Fisher is co-author with his wife, Judy, of “Life is a Gift: Inspiration from the Soon-Departed.” The book features a collection of lessons learned from interviews with 104 terminally ill patients of Alive Hospice in Nashville.

A panel of speakers from this fall’s previous brown-bag lectures will respond to Fisher. Speakers at those brown-bag programs addressed the overall theme from Christian, Jewish and Muslim perspectives.

The Science and Spirituality Forum grew out of early conversations among four MTSU professors about spiritual perspectives, scientific advances and our human place in the cosmos. These conversations have developed into lunch dialogues among interested faculty, staff and students with the support of the James E. Walker Library.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Kristen Keene at 615-898-5376 or kkeene@mtsu.edu.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[157] Piano Professor's Nov. 9 Concert Features Historical, Modern Keyboards

2011-11-02T14:39:00.001-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 2, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@mtsu.edu

Piano professor’s Nov. 9 concert features historical, modern keyboards

MURFREESBORO— One of MTSU’s newest music faculty members will showcase her expertise Wednesday, Nov. 9, in a free public recital featuring the harpsichord, fortepiano and modern piano.

Dr. Lillian Pearson, a new adjunct professor in the School of Music and a specialist in historically informed performance practice, will share her talents beginning at 8 p.m. Nov. 9 in Hinton Hall of the University’s Wright Music Building.

"MTSU is extremely fortunate to have a harpsichord and fortepiano to give the students and faculty an opportunity to better understand the period composers' intentions and to allow them to explore how the music would have sounded and been performed," Pearson said.

On the harpsichord, Pearson will perform “Est-ce Mars” by Jan Pieters Sweelinck;
“Soeur Monique,” “Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou les Maillotins” and “Les Baricades Misterieuses,” all by Francois Couperin; and “Toccata in D Minor” by J.S. Bach.

Works to be performed on the fortepiano include “Wurttemberg Sonata No. 3 in E Minor” by C.P.E. Bach and “Fantasy in C Minor” and Sonata in C Major,” both by W. A. Mozart.

Pearson noted that the fortepiano, which is new to the school and arrived in September, “is built following the specifications of instruments of Mozart's era."

In addition to the historical instruments, Pearson will perform on the University’s concert grand piano, offering “Etude de Concert No. 3” by Franz Liszt and “Nocturne in C-sharp” and “Barcarolle” by Frederic Chopin.

Pearson holds degrees from Florida State University and the University of Illinois. Her principal teacher has been the Hungarian-trained pianist Edward Kilenyi, and she recently moved to Nashville, where she also is a staff accompanist at the Blair School of Music.

She has appeared throughout the continental United States, England, Costa Rica and China as a soloist and collaborative artist and held positions at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Westfield State College and Western Carolina University. In addition to her keyboard expertise, Pearson is a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique.

For more MTSU School of Music concert information, call 615-898-2493 or visit www.mtsumusic.com and click on the "Concert Calendar" link.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

—30—

[156] Online Music Mogul to Put 'Topspin' on Industry for MTSU

2011-11-02T14:36:00.002-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 2, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385 or Gina.Fann@mtsu.edu

Online music mogul to put ‘topspin’ on industry for MTSU

MURFREESBORO—Online music mogul Ian Rogers is sharing his knowledge with MTSU on Thursday, Nov. 10, during a special visit with the University’s Department of Recording Industry.

Rogers is the chief executive officer for Topspin Media, a direct-to-fan marketing, management and distribution platform that helps artists in music and film manage their catalogs, connect with fans and generate demand for products.

He’ll speak at 6:30 p.m. in Room 221 of the McWherter Learning Resources Center on “Disrupting the System: The Evolution of Web Distribution for Music and Film, a Mass Of Niches and the Era of Trusted Brands.”

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Rogers also will provide a free application demonstration for recording-industry students and the public at 4 p.m. in Room 101 of MTSU’s Bragg Mass Communication Building, but seating is slightly limited in that room and may fill up quickly.

Rogers was the general manager for Yahoo! Music before joining Topspin in 2008. He previously co-founded Mediacode, a personal music sharing-software provider, and sold it to Yahoo. Before his work with Mediacode, Rogers worked as one of the principals at Grand Royal with the Beastie Boys, leading to his nickname as “the fourth Beastie Boy.”

Nine Inch Nails, Sundance Films, the Beastie Boys, film director Kevin Smith, David Byrne and Brian Eno, the Civil Wars, The Pixies, Fanfarlo and hundreds of others use the Topspin platform and marketing services and have seen significant increases in their fan bases and sales.

Funding and other services for Rogers’s visit are being provided by MTSU’s Office of New Student and Family Programs, the Department of Recording Industry and Omega Delta Psi.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

—30—

[155] Collegiate "Battle of the Brains" Set for Nov. 5 at MTSU

2011-11-02T14:35:00.002-05:00

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU Computer Science contact: Dr. Chrisila Pettey, 615-898-2397 or Chrisila.Pettey@mtsu.edu

Collegiate ‘battle of the brains’ set for Nov. 5 at MTSU

MURFREESBORO — MTSU will be trying to defend its first-ever Association for Computing Machinery Mid-Central USA Programming Contest title on its own turf.

On Saturday, Nov. 5, MTSU will host the 36th annual ACM Mid-Central USA contest for the first time in nearly 20 years. The five-hour contest starts at 12:30 p.m.

Citing what MTSU Department of Computer Science Chair Chrisila Pettey called “technical difficulties” a month from the contest date, longtime host Tennessee Tech asked Pettey if MTSU would hold the event.

Pettey and her faculty and staff said yes.

“A lot of good people are working to pull this off,” Pettey said. “The math department really cooperated. They’re letting us use all their labs and conference rooms.”

Math and computer science both are located in Kirksey Old Main, the contest site.

Nine universities with a combined 25 teams are competing. Vanderbilt and East Tennessee State University will have four, three-members teams. The University of North Alabama,Tennessee Tech and Maryville College have three teams. Belmont, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Tennessee State University and MTSU will enter two teams.

MTSU Blueraider #1 earned first-place honors in 2010, solving seven of nine problems, and finishing eighth overall in the entire 142-team Mid-Central region that includes Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois (including the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area), Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Drs. Sung Yoo and Zhijiang Dong coach both Blueraider #1 and Blueraider #2.

In the contest, each team is issued a set of problems that they try to solve in C++ or Java software programs, Pettey said. When they finish, they submit the answer to the judges. Once the judges approve, the team receives a new problem. At 5:30 p.m., time is called, and the team with the most solved problems wins.

Pettey said the software programs will be tested often — to ensure they’re working — this week.

###

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU is celebrating its 100th anniversary with special events and activities throughout the 2011-12 academic year.
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[154] Nov. 4 MTSU Star Party Features Wallin's 'Galaxy Zoo'

2011-11-01T14:53:00.003-05:00

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
Physics & Astronomy contacts:
Dr. Eric Klumpe, 615-898-2483 or eklumpe@mtsu.edu
Dr. Charles Higgins, 615-898-5946 or chiggins@mtsu.edu
Dr. John Wallin, 615-494-7735 or John.Wallin@mtsu.edu

Nov. 4 MTSU Star Party features Wallin’s ‘Galaxy Zoo’

MURFREESBORO — Dr. John Wallin will discuss “Galaxy Zoo: Contributing to Astronomy Online” during the third MTSU First Friday Star Party of the semester on Friday, Nov. 4.

The star party will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Wiser-Patten Science Hall Room 102. After the 30- to 45-minute lecture by Wallin and weather permitting, there will be an outdoor telescope observing for participants.

Wallin is a professor in the MTSU Department of Physics and Astronomy and director of the Center for Computational Sciences. His research has aimed at understanding the gravitationally interactions in the universe. Most recently, he has become involved in the Zooniverse project to enable volunteer citizen scientists to cont+ribute their eyes and brains to analyzing scientific data.

First Friday Star Parties are open to the general public and MTSU students, faculty and staff. Children are welcome. Free parking is available behind Wiser-Patten beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Star Party Fridays only.

For more information, call Drs. Eric Klumpe at 615-898-2483 or Dr. Charles Higgins at 615-898-5946. For general information and a downloadable PDF of the fall 2011 schedule, visit http://bit.ly/MTStarParties11 or call 615-898-2130.

###
Media welcomed.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[153] After Hailstorm, Most of MTSU Diamond Aircraft Flying Again

2011-11-01T11:40:00.004-05:00

Today’s date: Nov. 1, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
Aerospace contact: Dr. Wayne Dornan, 615-898-2788 or Wayne.Dornan@mtsu.edu

After hailstorm, most of MTSU Diamond aircraft flying again

MURFREESBORO — Following a severe hailstorm Oct. 18 in Rutherford County that grounded the entire fleet and damaged 22 of 25 MTSU aircraft, officials have returned all but four planes to active service. The remaining four aircraft will be approved to fly within a few days.

The fleet includes 20 Diamond and five Piper aircraft. Four of the Diamond planes remain grounded until they are repaired and cleared for use, officials said.

Diamond President Pete Maurer commended MTSU for making the safety of its aerospace students a top priority and making the conservative call to ground all the planes.

“With 400 students in the program, we knew they needed a very quick solution,” Maurer said.

The planes received a reported $250,000 in damages. All were insured, officials said.

“There was much public consternation and speculation about the extent of damage and reparability of the all-composite Diamonds,” Maurer said. “I had a feeling that this would not be nearly as bad as was being speculated.”

Maurer said the composite construction is tough and resilient. There were only two of the planes’ outer surface was penetrated, and the damage was limited to the area of the spars where the outer skin would not absorb the golf-ball-sized hail, he added.

“That is why we immediately dispatched our experts to assist MTSU in assessing the damage, air-worthiness and reparability of the Diamonds,” he said.

“The bottom line is that the Diamond airframes suffered very little damage in comparison to the metal aircraft, and the minimal structural damage that did occur was quickly repaired,” said MTSU Department of Aerospace Chair Dr. Wayne Dornan.

Including the 400 professional pilot concentration students, the MTSU aerospace program has grown to 750 students in five concentrations. It is regarded as one of the leading flight schools in the nation.

###

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[152] MTSU Student Wins $3,000 Scholarship to Pursue Career in Actuarial Science

2011-11-01T11:40:00.002-05:00

Oct. 31, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

MTSU student wins $3,000 scholarship to pursue career in actuarial science

MURFREESBORO—MTSU senior Dmitry A. Terekhov recently received a $3,000 scholarship from the Southeastern Actuarial Conference, based on his “academic standing, leadership qualities and commitment to an actuarial career.”

Actuarial science is a discipline that applies mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk in the insurance and finance industries. In addition to math and statistics, the field requires knowledge in economics, probability and computer programming. Recent surveys rank actuarial science as a top career choice, one that will increase in demand in the future.

Terekhov, who is from Moscow City, Russia, began the actuarial program in fall 2009. He credits Dr. Don Hong, professor, and Dr. Rajesh Barnwal, associate professor, in the Department of Mathematical Sciences for teaching most of the courses in his major and encouraging him along the way.

“This recognition is close to my heart,” Terekhov stated. “It is truly inspirational to be acknowledged by the professionals in the field I plan to join in the near future. I would like to thank the Southeastern Actuaries Conference and MTSU faculty members.” Terekhov will graduate this December with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics.

The young scholar is president of the Actuarial Student Association and a member of Gamma Iota Sigma insurance fraternity and Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies. He also volunteers for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

The Southeastern Actuarial Conference serves members in 13 southern states.
-----
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

-30-

[151] International Film Series Cooks Up Comedy in "Soul Kitchen"

2011-11-01T11:39:00.002-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 31, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

INTERNATIONAL FILM SERIES COOKS UP COMEDY IN ‘SOUL KITCHEN’
Tasty Cinematic Treat Presented by International Affairs, Student Programming

MURFREESBORO—“Soul Kitchen,” the second motion picture in the fall 2011 MTSU International Film Series, will be screened at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, in the Keathley University Center Theatre. This event is free and open to the public.

The movie follows Zinos, a young German-Greek restaurant owner whose customers are boycotting his new chef. Demoralized, Zinos turns the restaurant over to his ex-convict brother, who gambles it away. If the battling brothers can work together, they have one chance to get the “Soul Kitchen” back.

The International Film Series, which is co-sponsored by the Department of Student Programming and the Office of International Affairs, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Student Programming at 615-898-2551 or the Office of International Affairs at 615-898-8190.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[150] Women's & Gender Studies Lecture Targets Women's Health

2011-11-01T11:27:00.001-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 31, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

WOMEN’S & GENDER STUDIES LECTURE TARGETS WOMEN’S HEALTH
‘Shape IQ’ Discussion to Involve Attendees in Interactive Work with Resistance Band

MURFREESBORO—Joel Malone will address the topic of “Women’s Health in the 21st Century by Shape IQ” from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 in the SunTrust Room, or Room N127, of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building.

This event, which is free and open to the public, will be the final installment in the fall 2011 Women’s and Gender Studies Research Series of lectures.

The presentation will include an interactive resistance-band demonstration. Those who wish to take part are advised to dress comfortably.

Malone, a graduate teaching assistant from Franklin who has taught classes in personal conditioning, is working toward his doctoral degree in the Department of Health and Human Performance at MTSU.

For more information, contact Dr. Pat Bradley at 615-904-8128 or pat.bradley@mtsu.edu.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[149] 'Culture Fest' Takes Guests Around the World in One Room

2011-10-31T08:48:00.001-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 28, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

‘CULTURE FEST’ TAKES GUESTS AROUND THE WORLD IN ONE ROOM
MTSU Students in Free Enterprise Put Diversity on Display through ‘Ambassadors’

MURFREESBORO—Students in Free Enterprise at MTSU will present Culture Fest, a “Tour of the World,” from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, in the Tennessee Room of MTSU’s James Union Building.

Culture Fest aims to entertain and educate the public about understanding and respecting the multiple cultures that make up the United States, organizers say.

Upon arrival, guests will be given “passports” to be stamped at each nation’s booth. Nation “ambassadors” will deliver brief lectures about their culture. International cuisine, a variety of musical styles, traditional dances and unique ethnic items are all part of the total experience.

“Culture Fest was inspired by students from Costa Rica who wanted to present the day-to-day truth of Murfreesboro: Many people of different backgrounds live and work together harmoniously every day,” says SIFE faculty adviser Jean Wilson, an instructor in the Department of Management and Marketing.

This event is free and open to the public. Doors will open promptly at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Wilson at 615-898-2436 or jrwilson@mtsu.edu.

NOTE FOR EDITORS AND REPORTERS: Coverage by credentialed media, including photography and videography, is welcome. To receive the roster of nation ambassadors, potential political attendees and sponsors, contact Adam Williams, project manager, at acw4k@mtmail.mtsu.edu. Interviews with ambassadors and guests are welcome throughout the event. Williams, Wilson and management and marketing instructor Laura Buckner are available for interviews from 5:30 to 6 p.m.
--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[148] 'A Space for Faith' On Exhibit at MTSU's Baldwin Photo Gallery

2011-10-31T08:47:00.001-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 28, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tom Jimison, 615-898-2085

‘A Space for Faith’ on exhibit at MTSU’s Baldwin Photo Gallery

MURFREESBORO—The fast pace of digital photography is being replaced by “A Space for Faith: Colonial Meeting Houses of New England,” a new exhibit on display now through Thursday, Dec. 8, at MTSU’s Baldwin Photographic Gallery.

Photographer Paul Wainwright will speak about the exhibit, which features photos from his published collection of the same name, on Monday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall in MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building.

A free public reception and booksigning in the Baldwin Gallery will follow the lecture.

Wainwright, who is based in Atkinson, N.H., works in a traditional manner with sheet film, a large-format camera and silver-gelatin printing in a wet darkroom. His work has appeared in numerous juried competitions and solo exhibitions and is included in the permanent collections of both private and corporate collectors, including Fidelity Investments and Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts.

He is a mostly self-taught photographer whose images feature space and light, subtle details and an appreciation of history, as well a sense of quiet contemplation that comes from the slow, Zen-like pace of creating his images.

“A Space for Faith: Colonial Meeting Houses of New England” is his first book of photographs.

Baldwin Photographic Gallery is located in the McWherter Learning Resources Center, and its operating hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. All photo exhibitions are free and open to the public.

For more information about the exhibit, call 615-898-2085. For more information about the photographer, visit his website at www.paulwainwrightphotography.com.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

—30—

[146] MTSU Guest Lecturer Focuses on Youth Leadership in Sports

2011-10-31T08:46:00.001-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 28, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU GUEST LECTURER FOCUSES ON YOUTH LEADERSHIP IN SPORTS
Dr. Tom Martinek Translates Principles into Practice with Alternative High School

MURFREESBORO—Dr. Tom Martinek, professor of exercise and sport science at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, will discuss “Youth Leadership Development: From Principles to Practice” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building.

Martinek recently established an alternative high school on the UNCG campus that allows at-risk students to explore a variety of careers in health and human performance and earn up to two years of transferable college credit at graduation.

An internationally recognized expert in alternative physical-activity program models and structures, Martinek has established youth sports-leadership programs in Chicago, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and Indonesia. He is the author or co-author of nearly 100 peer-reviewed articles and eight books on youth development in sport and physical education.

Martinek’s address will be presented by the MTSU-based Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth as part of its Distinguished Lecture Series in Youth Fitness and Sport.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[146] MTSU Science Education Propelled By Space Grant Funding

2011-10-31T08:45:00.000-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 28, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU SCIENCE EDUCATION PROPELLED BY SPACE GRANT FUNDING
NASA Program Awards University $31,000 for Engineering, Aerospace, Astronomy

MURFREESBORO—Middle Tennessee State University will use most of its $31,000 in funds from the Tennessee Space Grant Consortium for various space and earth science projects by students.

The rest of the money will support the annual statewide Math and Science Education Research Conference, which will be held Feb. 2-3, 2012, in Murfreesboro.

MTSU will bolster the allocation from the NASA-funded consortium with more than $24,000 in matching funds.

One of the projects supported by the funds is the Department of Engineering Technology’s award-winning MTSU Moonbuggy. Under the guidance of Dr. Saeed Foroudastan, associate dean in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, undergraduates will build a human-powered vehicle and enter it in the annual Great Moonbuggy Race to be held in April 2012 in Huntsville, Ala.

Other projects that will benefit from the consortium grant include undergraduate involvement in the Department of Aerospace’s flight-operations center simulator, undergraduate research in the Departments of Geosciences and Physics and Astronomy, and a student’s involvement in MTSU’s Math and Science Education doctoral program.

MTSU’s involvement in the Tennessee Space Grant Consortium dates back to 1999. For more information, contact MTSU’s campus representative to the consortium, Dr. Mark Abolins of the Department of Geosciences, at 615-594-4210 or mabolins@mtsu.edu.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mts

[145] Project Help Kids Help Blue Raiders Rev Up for Ragin' Cajuns

2011-10-31T08:44:00.001-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 25, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

PROJECT HELP KIDS HELP BLUE RAIDERS REV UP FOR RAGIN’ CAJUNS
Children Dress for Halloween Success so MTSU Can Scare Louisiana-Lafayette

MURFREESBORO--The tiny toddlers of Project Help and their parents will welcome members of the MTSU football team to their headquarters for Halloween-flavored fun at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at 206 N. Baird Lane in Murfreesboro.

“We thought the parents and the kids would enjoy dressing up to show some Blue Raider spirit” in advance of this Saturday’s football game between MTSU and Louisiana-Lafayette, says Susan Waldrop, Project Help director. The game is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Floyd Stadium.

The kids will ask the players and coaches to help them carve a pumpkin for each Project Help classroom. In addition, the youngsters will dance the “Monster Mash,” and there will be costume recognitions for the “Silliest Blue,” the “Sportiest Blue,” the “Bluest Blue,” and the “Cheering-est Blue.”

Project Help is an early intervention resource agency affiliated with both MTSU and the Rutherford County community. It educates children with delays or disabilities from six to 36 months of age free of charge.

Media are welcomed to take advantage of this delightful photo opportunity. For more information, contact Susan Waldrop at 615-898-2458 or swaldrop@mtsu.edu.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[144] Incoming Dean Looks to Take MTSU's Library to Next Level

2011-10-27T08:49:00.001-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 26, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

INCOMING DEAN LOOKS TO TAKE MTSU’S LIBRARY TO NEXT LEVEL
University of Montana Library Chief to Succeed Don Craig

MURFREESBORO—Bonnie J. Allen, dean of libraries and professor of library science at the University of Montana in Missoula, Mont., will become the new dean of Middle Tennessee State University’s James E. Walker Library around March 1, 2012.

Allen, who has led UM’s libraries since 2006, also is interim director for academic information technology. She will succeed Don Craig, who retired from MTSU after 38 years of service.

“My immediate goal is to get to know MTSU well, to get to know the culture of the institution, which also seems like a family to me,” says Allen, who says she also wants to develop the Walker Library’s learning commons and space for graduate students.

She hails the Walker Library as a “stellar building poised to do the next great thing with technology.”

During the interview process, Allen says, she was “impressed by how positive everyone was about the future and the level of engagement they had in their work. People asked very good questions.”

Allen’s professional accomplishments include membership in the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities’ Accreditation Team for Library Standards and in the Online Computer Library Center Global Council and as a commissioner of the Montana State Library.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in art history and her master’s degree in library and information science from Indiana University. Allen also earned an MBA from Portland State University.

Allen, a native of Bloomington, Ind., will be moving to the Murfreesboro area with her daughter, Quinn Walsdorf, who will receive her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Montana in January 2012.

For more information, contact Kristen Keene at 615-898-5376 or kkeene@mtsu.edu. The Walker Library also has an extensive website at http://library.mtsu.edu.

--30--
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[143] Celebrate Your Rights with 'Freedom Sings' Nov. 2 at MTSU

2011-10-26T08:38:00.001-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 25, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Deborah Gump, 615-898-5150, or dgump@mtsu.edu

Celebrate your rights with ‘Freedom Sings’ Nov. 2 at MTSU

MURFREESBORO—Renowned musicians will celebrate the First Amendment in song on Wednesday, Nov. 2, during a special performance of “Freedom Sings” in MTSU’s Tucker Theatre.

Scheduled performers include Ashley Cleveland, Dave Coleman, Craig Krampf, Bill Lloyd, Jonell Mosser, Jason White and Joseph Wooten.

They’ll tell the story of three centuries of banned or censored music in the United States, and the show will feature several protest songs from the 1960s still being used today, most notably by the Occupy Wall Street movement.

The 2:20 p.m. multimedia performance, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Liberty Tree Initiative, the campus-grant program of “1 for All,” a national, nonpartisan campaign to raise awareness and understanding about the First Amendment.

The program is sponsored by the McCormick Foundation, the First Amendment Center, the Newseum, the American Society of News Editors and the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information and hosted by
the Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies in MTSU’s College of Mass Communication.

Before the performance, visitors can view the original music associated with the songs featured in “Freedom Sings” via a Tucker Theatre lobby exhibit of original sound recordings, sheet music, music books, photographs and more from the collections of MTSU’s Center for Popular Music.

“Some you will recognize as being protest songs, but you may be surprised to find out what other songs were banned or censored,” said Lucinda Cockrell, the center’s assistant director and archivist.

After the show, several “Freedom Sings” performers, including Lloyd and Krampf, will join a panel discussion on the First Amendment's importance to free expression and creativity in music.

The discussion, moderated by Dr. Paul Fischer from MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry, is scheduled from 4:10 to 5:35 p.m. Nov. 2 in Room 164 of the new College of Education Building.

"Freedom Sings" began in 1999 with a concert at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville and began touring nationwide in 2000.

"Freedom Sings never fails to inspire me," said Dr. Deborah Gump, who directs the Seigenthaler Chair. "When Freedom Sings came to MTSU in 2009, it was my first year on campus, so I wanted to check it out. I blown away by how packed Tucker was and how pumped the audience was. Frankly, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens this year.”

"Freedom Sings" is a national program of the Freedom Forum's First Amendment Center. The Nashville-based The First Amendment Center works to preserve and protect First Amendment freedoms through information and education.

The Seigenthaler Chair supports a variety of activities related to free-speech and free-press rights, including welcoming visiting professors of First Amendment studies and lecturers who address issues of freedom of speech and press, along with funding research, seminars and meetings related to free expression.

For more information about Freedom Sings, including details about the performers, visit www.firstamendmentcenter.org/freedom-sings. For more information about “1 for All,” visit www.1forall.us.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

—30—

[142] Education Equality is Topic of MTSU Social-Science Symposium

2011-10-26T08:36:00.001-05:00

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 25, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Connie Huddleston, 615-494-7628 or chudd@mtsu.edu

Education equality is topic of MTSU social-science symposium

MURFREESBORO—Is education equal in America? MTSU’s 20th annual Undergraduate Social Science Symposium will tackle the topic Oct. 31-Nov. 1 with scholars who’ve been down in the trenches with students, teachers and administrators.

“Equal Education? Evaluating the American Promise” will kick off Monday, Oct. 31, with student research-paper presentations in the James Union Building on the MTSU campus. All symposium events are free and open to the public.

The symposium will showcase a Senior Scholar Lecture by Dr. Larry Isaac, a professor of American Studies at Vanderbilt University and holder of the endowed chair as the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Sociology, at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 31 in the Tennessee Room. At Vanderbilt, Isaac teaches courses in social movements, political sociology, methods for analyzing historical processes of social change, the historical sociology of Gilded Age America and social change and movements in the Sixties.

A special documentary by filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, “Waiting for Superman,” will be screened on Oct. 31 at 1:50 p.m. in the JUB’s Tennessee Room. The film follows a handful of promising young students through a system that inhibits, rather than encourages, academic growth, allowing Guggenheim to take an exhaustive review of public education.

A panel discussion, “Educational Inequality: Identifying Problems and Creating Solutions,” is scheduled to follow the “Waiting for Superman” screening from 4 to 5 p.m.

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, Dr. Sonya Douglass-Horsford, author of Learning in a Burning House: Educational Inequality, Ideology and (Dis)Integration, and Brian Bordainick, a New Orleans high-school teacher, athletic director and founder of the 9th Ward Field of Dreams, will offer the symposium’s keynote lectures.

Horsford, who will speak at 11:20 a.m. in the JUB’s Tennessee Room, is a senior resident scholar of education with the Lincy Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she focuses on the history of education in the United States, the politics of education and the role of schools in society. She’s currently the principal investigator in a research study, “Losing in Las Vegas: Educational Inequality, Ideology, and Reform in the West,” that examines the social and community forces and school-district-led reforms working toward greater educational equality and opportunity in southern Nevada.

Bordainick, who teaches at G. W. Carver High School in New Orleans’ 9th Ward, will speak at 6 p.m. His 9th Ward Field of Dreams has raised more than $1.9 million in less than two years to support construction of a new football field and track for the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged school’s athletic program and surrounding community.

For more details on these free public events, visit the symposium’s home page at www.mtsu.edu/soc/socsymp or contact the program committee co-chairs, Drs. Meredith Dye and Brian Hinote of the MTSU Department of Sociology and Anthropology, at mdye@mtsu.edu or bhinote@mtsu.edu, respectively.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

-------

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

—30—

[141] Marshall County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

2011-10-24T16:21:00.001-05:00

For Release: Oct. 20, 2011
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

MARSHALL COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Big Orange Country Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

MURFREESBORO— The Big Orange Country Farm, located in Marshall County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
The Sheffield family’s farm has direct ties to the Revolutionary War. Founder Arthur Shuffield (as the name was spelled then), was a veteran of that conflict and he and his father and his two brothers fought against the British for America’s independence. Born in North Carolina in 1750, Arthur married Lucretia Hogan in 1773, and they had12 children. James, a son of Arthur and Lucretia’s, came to Wilson County around 1804 to look over the Middle Tennessee landscape and its farming possibilities before other members of the family came across the mountains to settle and begin farming. In August 1813, Arthur Shuffield purchased 150 acres on Spring Creek of the Duck River in what was then Bedford County and would become Marshall County in 1836. When Arthur died in 1824, a family cemetery was established that is still maintained by his descendants.
Lucretia inherited the farm and, with the help of several sons who owned adjoining farms, managed to keep it in operation. The family raised cotton, livestock and row crops. The Fishing Ford Road, an early route linking Nashville and Huntsville, ran beside or near these farms.
After Lucretia’s death in 1837, her children inherited the farm. The children agreed to sell the farm in 1838 to their brother, John “Jack” Shuffield, but less than five years later, Jack sold the farm to another brother, Jason Bryant Shuffield, who was a member of the first Marshall County Court that met Oct. 3, 1836. During Jason’s ownership, the farm grew to approximately 1,000 acres. Jason married twice and fathered 16 children. Several of his sons and a son-in-law fought in the Civil War. Columbus Jackson Shuffield enlisted in 1861 and he served as an officer in the 4th Tennessee Calvary, Company A until he surrendered on May 9, 1865.
When Jason died in 1874, his widow, Martha Falwell Shuffield, inherited the farm, where she lived until her death in 1883. After a court battle among the heirs, Jason and Martha’s son Columbus became the next owner, farming the property until his death in 1892. His widow, Laura Adelaide Dobson Shuffield, inherited the property, and she and her son Ephraim, worked the land and added acreage to the farm.
The family had changed their surname’s spelling by the time Ephraim and Henry Sheffield inherited the farm in 1935. Henry then sold his portion to Ephraim. Ephraim and his wife, Alice Letitia Morris, were the parents of Elisha Jackson Jack Sheffield, who inherited the farm in 1959.
Jack Sheffield and his wife, Alice Wheeler Sheffield, were the parents of three children who all were active participants in 4-H programs. To increase their income, Jack also drove a school bus and worked as a night watchman at Durango Boot Company. Alice Sheffield inherited the farm after Jack’s death.
After Alice’s death in 1997, their twin daughters, Mary Sheffield and Martha Sheffield Cook inherited the farm when Martha died. The farm passed to Mary when Martha died, and Shannon Sheffield Cook, Martha’s son and Mary’s nephew works the land today. He and his wife, Amanda, live on the farm with their son Hayden, and daughter, Harlee. Shannon and his sister, Angela Cook Baxter, who also lives on the farm with her husband, Billy Baxter, and sons Pryor and Jackson, will inherit the farm one day. The family raises cotton, tobacco, hay, dairy cows and Black Angus cattle. The remnants of a slave cabin on the farm recall the slaves who worked the Sheffield property before emancipation. Records also indicate that freed blacks continued to work on the property after the Civil War. Other farm buildings remain from the late 19th and 20th centuries.
Few farms remain in the same family and carry the same surname for nearly 200 years, but that is the case with the Tennessee farm now owned by Mary Sheffield. Big Orange Country Farm is the 14th certified Century Farm in Marshall County.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.

For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!